History of Hartford City, Indiana - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Hartford City, Indiana
Hartford City, Indiana
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 experienced a 15-year “boom” beginning in the late 1880s...

, began in the late 1830s as a few log cabins clustered near a creek. The community became the county seat

County seat

A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

of Blackford County

Blackford County, Indiana

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...

. Located in the north east-central portion of the state

East Central Indiana

East Central Indiana is a region in Indiana east of Indianapolis, Indiana, and borders the Ohio state line.- Counties :*Blackford*Delaware*Hancock*Henry*Jay*Madison*Randolph*Wayne- County seats :*Anderson, Indiana-Madison...

, the small farming community experienced a 15-year "boom" beginning in the late 1880s caused by the discovery of natural gas

Natural gas

Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...

. The Indiana Gas Boom

Indiana Gas Boom

The Indiana Gas Boom was a period of active drilling and production of natural gas in the Trenton Gas Field, in the US state of Indiana and the adjacent northwest part of Ohio The boom began in the early 1880s and lasted into the early twentieth century....

caused the community to transition from an agricultural economy

Economy

An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...

to one that also included manufacturing

Manufacturing

Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...

.

The phenomenal growth ended after the boom, but the city was able to retain much of its workforce, as some of the glass factories and paper mills continued operations within the city. Jobs relating to the new automobile

History of the automobile

The history of the automobile begins as early as 1769, with the creation of steam engined automobiles capable of human transport. In 1806, the first cars powered by an internal combustion engine running on fuel gas appeared, which led to the introduction in 1885 of the ubiquitous modern gasoline-...

industry also became available in nearby cities. In the first half of the 20th century, Hartford City was able to attract several new manufacturers that became cornerstones for employment within the town, including Overhead Door and 3M

3M Company , formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States....

. However, as the fortunes of the auto industry have declined in recent decades, so have the fortunes of Hartford City.

Pre-Settlement

In the early 19th century, much of what would become the state of Indiana was still frequented by native Indian tribes. At least three tribes are almost certain to have visited the future Hartford City area during the 40 years before the town was settled, although there were no known permanent settlements in the immediate area. The three tribes are the Miami

Miami tribe

The Miami are a Native American nation originally found in what is now Indiana, southwest Michigan, and western Ohio. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma is the only federally recognized tribe of Miami Indians in the United States...

, Delaware, and Potawatomi

Potawatomi

The Potawatomi are a Native American people of the upper Mississippi River region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a member of the Algonquian family. In the Potawatomi language, they generally call themselves Bodéwadmi, a name that means "keepers of the fire" and that was applied...

. A fourth tribe, the Kickapoo, may have lived in the area before the 19th Century, and Hartford City has a Kickapoo Street named in that tribe’s honor.

In the early 19th century, a settlement of the Munsee

Buckongahelas

Buckongahelas was a regionally and nationally renowned Lenape chief, councilor and warrior. He was active from the days of the French and Indian War through the Northwest Indian Wars, after the United States achieved independence and settlers encroached on territory beyond the Appalachian...

clan of the Delaware Indians was located about 19 miles south of the future Hartford City along the White River

White River (Indiana)

The White River is a two-forked river that flows through central and southern Indiana and is the main tributary to the Wabash River. Via the west fork, considered to be the main stem of the river by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, the White River is long.-West Fork:The West Fork, long, is...

. Eventually, the future county to the south of Blackford County, Delaware County

Delaware County, Indiana

As of the census of 2000, there were 118,769 people, 47,131 households, and 29,692 families residing in the county. The population density was 302 people per square mile . There were 51,032 housing units at an average density of 130 per square mile...

, was named after the Delaware Indians that lived there, and the city of Muncie

Muncie, Indiana

Muncie is a city in Center Township, Delaware County in east central Indiana, best known as the home of Ball State University and the birthplace of the Ball Corporation. It is the principal city of the Muncie, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 118,769...

derived its name from the Munsee clan.

The Miami tribe

Miami tribe

was the most powerful group of Indians in the region around the future Hartford City. Little Turtle (see picture) was the last great Miami warrior, dying in 1812. Francois Godfroy (he was half French) was one of the leaders of the area Miami Indians in the east central Indiana region after Indiana became a state, and he maintained a residence in what became northern Blackford County

Blackford County, Indiana

. The Miami and Delaware Indians are credited as being the first settlers of the Blackford County area, living about 9 miles (12 current highway miles) from the future Hartford City on the Godfroy Reserve after an 1818 treaty

Treaty of St. Mary's

The Treaty of St. Mary's was signed on October 6, 1818 at Saint Mary's, Ohio between representatives of the United States and the Miami tribe and others living in their territory. The accord contained seven articles. Based on the terms of the accord, the Miami ceded to the United States...

. The site is located in Blackford County’s Harrison Township

Harrison Township, Blackford County, Indiana

Harrison Township is one of four townships in Blackford County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, its population was 2,940. The township was named after William Henry Harrison, hero of the Battle of Tippecanoe, former governor of the Indiana Territory, and 9th President of the United...

. Although the Godfroy Reserve was allotted to Miami Indian Chief Francois (a.k.a. Francis) Godfroy, Delaware Indians were also allowed to stay at the Reserve.

Members of the Potawatomi

Potawatomi

tribe may have occasionally strayed into the (future Hartford City) area during the early 19th century, but they were supposed to stay north of the Wabash River

Wabash River

The Wabash River is a river in the Midwestern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near Fort Recovery across northern Indiana to southern Illinois, where it forms the Illinois-Indiana border before draining into the Ohio River, of which it is the largest northern tributary...

, which is about 30 miles north of present day Hartford City. Around 1830, members of the Potawatomi tribe began visiting the area south of the Wabash River a bit too often, and were eventually fought by Miami warriers in what is now Upland, Indiana

Upland, Indiana

Upland is a town in Jefferson Township, Grant County, Indiana, United States. The population was 3,845 at the 2010 census. It is most notable for being the home of Taylor University, a Christian college with 1,920 students, as of 2011.-History:...

– which is about 8 miles from Hartford City. This fight, with knives and clubs as the main weapons, had no fatalities, and the result was the Potawatomi tribesmen returning to their lands north of the Wabash River.

First settlements

The Indiana Territory

Indiana Territory

The Territory of Indiana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1800, until November 7, 1816, when the southern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Indiana....

was created in 1800, and a portion of that territory was used to grant Indiana statehood in 1816. In 1831, Benjamin Reasoner was the first known non-native to visit what would become Blackford County. He returned to the area in 1832 with his wife Mary and five of their children (plus son Peter’s family), settling in what would become Blackford County’s Licking Township

Licking Township, Blackford County, Indiana

Licking Township is one of four townships in Blackford County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, its population was 8,689. The township was named after Lick Creek and a salt lick in the area. The first settlers in what became Blackford County arrived in the Lick Creek area in...

. Peter Reasoner’s third child, a daughter also named Mary, was the first non-native born in the county. Settlers began arriving in the future Blackford County shortly after the Reasoners during the 1830s. Other early settlers in the future Licking Township

Licking Township, Blackford County, Indiana

included Andrew Boggs, John Grimes, George and Joseph Atkinson, Jacob Slater, and Robert Stewart. John Grimes built the county’s first water-powered grist mill on Big Lick Creek. Jay County was created in 1835, and a portion of that county was later split away to form Blackford County. Although Blackford County was created by the State Legislature in 1837, the county was not organized until 1839. The county is named after Judge Isaac Newton Blackford

Isaac Blackford

Isaac Newton Blackford was the second Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, the court's longest serving Justice, and among the longest serving jurists in the history of the United States. He wrote an eight volume work entitled Blackford's Reports recording all the early decisions of the court...

, a state Supreme Court judge from 1817 until 1855. Blackford County now consists of four townships, and Hartford City is located in Licking Township

Licking Township, Blackford County, Indiana

. As the county became organized and more settlers began arriving, the Godfroy Reservation tribe became more annoyed with the "white man", and moved west around 1839.

Hartford

Originally, Hartford City was named Hartford. The site for the Blackford County seat was designated as Hartford in 1837, before the community had an official name and before the county was organized. The citizens of nearby Montpelier

Montpelier, Indiana

Montpelier is an American city in Blackford County, 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 – Montpelier....

objected to this designation, but efforts to change the county seat were unsuccessful. Although the Montpelier community had existed longer, Licking Township (which contained the future Hartford City) had a slightly higher population. Some land donated to the county for the purpose of public buildings may have also influenced the decision. The county finally became organized in 1839, and the village became officially named Hartford. The community was located in the southwest part of the present day Hartford City, close to Lick Creek. The settlers found deer and wolves, but no Indians in the immediate vicinity of the community – although Indians had been living in the northeastern part of the county on the Godfroy Reserve, and were still living in adjacent Grant County.

Folklore later taught in local elementary schools suggested that Hartford was originally a place to ford

Ford (crossing)

A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...

(or cross) Lick Creek. It was known as "Hart’s ford" or "Hart ford", where the "Hart" came either from a farmer named Jacob Hart or the old English word for stag – "hart". This evolved to Hartford. There was already another Hartford in Indiana, so eventually Blackford County’s Hartford was changed to Hartford City to avoid confusion. By 1842, the community of Hartford consisted of seven families in log cabins. The family surnames were Branson, Brough, Graham, Marley, Payton, Shelton, and Turner. The Paytons and Graham were merchants. John Marley was the town’s first blacksmith. Hartford grew to a population of 250 by 1850, and was said to have about 40 houses. The town had a post office, and a national Post Office directory for 1855 lists the town as Hartford City. Hartford City became incorporated as a town in 1857.

Government

The village of Hartford was originally an unincorporated

Unincorporated area

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

community governed by the county. Blackford County became organized in June 1839, when Indiana Governor David Wallace appointed Nicolas Friend acting sheriff. Mr. Friend was instructed to hold an election for county officers. The election was held at the log cabin

Log cabin

A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...

home of one of the settlers in the village that would become Hartford. County officers elected were: Jacob Brugh, clerk-auditor-recorder; Jacob Emshwiller, treasurer

Treasurer

A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...

; Frederick Bell, sheriff

Sheriff

A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....

; and three county commissioners – Josephus Streeter, Jacob Schroyer, and Eli Rigdon. Among the board of county commissioners’ early projects were two items of particular interest for the future. First, the commissioners worked on a petition for a road that would run along the nearby Lick Creek toward the city of Portland in adjacent Jay County. Second, it was ordered that the Blackford County seat be called Hartford. (Later, "City" was added to the Hartford name because it was discovered that there was already another Hartford in Indiana.)

In 1857, work began on incorporating the community of Hartford as a town

Town

A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...

. Based on a May 1857 census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

, the community had 51 families totaling to 311 residents. On September 28, 1857, eligible voters approved a petition

Petition

A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....

to incorporate as a town by a vote of 35 in favor and 18 against. As a result, the county commissioners declared the town incorporated on December 7, 1857. As a town, Hartford City was governed by a clerk-treasurer and town council, which were elected officials. The president of the town council was considered the town’s executive.

In Indiana, towns with populations greater than 2,000 can convert to cities. Helped by the railroads and then the Gas Boom

Indiana Gas Boom

, Hartford City’s population exceeded 2,000 by 1890. In February 1894, a petition was circulated that asked the town council to call a vote concerning changing the town to a city. The petition was successful, and in April 1894, voters in Hartford City decided in favor of a city charter. The voting was 606 for, and 114 against, the change. Shortly thereafter, both the Democrats

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

and Republicans

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

held conventions

Convention (meeting)

A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, and fandom...

to nominate candidates for city offices. Positions in the new government were mayor, clerk, treasurer, marshal, and councilmen for four wards. In May 1894, Hartford City changed from governmental control by a town council to a government by a mayor

Mayor

In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

and common council. The first mayor was Republican John A. Bonham.

Early Transportation

When the state of Indiana was formed, waterways were the best mode of transportation. Location on a river was vital to a community, and state planners viewed canals as a way to connect the state’s navigable rivers. By the late 1840s and 1850s, planners realized that railroads would be a vital mode of transportation for Indiana, more so than constructing canals and "pikes". Railroads began a phenomenal growth in the state. Barely 200 miles of rail were in operation within the state in 1850, yet by 1860, more than 2,000 miles of track were in operation. By 1873, over 3,700 miles of main line were in service in Indiana.

Blackford County’s first proposed railroad, which would run north-south, was the Fort Wayne & Southern Company, which was to be constructed southward from Fort Wayne through Bluffton

Bluffton, Indiana

Bluffton is a city in Harrison and Lancaster Townships, Wells County, Indiana, United States. The population was 9,897 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Wells County.-Geography:Bluffton is located at ....

and Hartford City to Muncie

Muncie, Indiana

, where it would connect with some line that would enable it to run to Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...

. This rail line was proposed in 1849, and construction began in 1853. After some ownership changes, this line reached Hartford City in 1869. The first train from Fort Wayne all the way to Muncie ran in 1870. By that time, the railroad was named the Fort Wayne, Cincinnati and Louisville Railroad. In the next 130 years this rail line changed ownership (and name) often. Among other names this line was eventually called were the Lake Erie and Western Railroad

Lake Erie and Western Railroad

The Lake Erie and Western Railroad was a railroad that operated in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.-The beginning:The Seney Syndicate linked several short railroads in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois to form the Lake Erie and Western Railroad in 1879 and 1880...

, the Nickel Plate Road

New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad

The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad , abbreviated NYC&St.L, was a railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. Commonly referred to as the Nickel Plate Road, the railroad served a large area, including trackage in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois...

, and Norfolk & Western Railway

Norfolk and Western Railway

The Norfolk and Western Railway , a US class I railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It had headquarters in Roanoke, Virginia for most of its 150 year existence....

.

The county’s second proposed railroad was the first to operate in Hartford City, and it was the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & Saint Louis, which was proposed around 1862. That line was completed to Hartford City in 1867. The line eventually became controlled by the Pennsylvania Railroad

Pennsylvania Railroad

The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....

. (Many years later, a merger caused the line to be part of Penn Central, and then Conrail

Consolidated Rail Corporation

The Consolidated Rail Corporation, commonly known as Conrail , was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeast U.S. between 1976 and 1999. The federal government created it to take over the potentially profitable lines of bankrupt carriers, including the Penn Central Transportation Company and...

after a bankruptcy in 1970 and government reorganization.) After 1870, Hartford City had railroad service from two lines (see map), one moving north-south, and the other moving east-west. The two railroad lines, after numerous ownership and name changes, still operate today (2009).

By the 1880s, Hartford City was also proud to have gravel road

Gravel road

A gravel road is a type of unpaved road surfaced with gravel that has been brought to the site from a quarry or stream bed. They are common in less-developed nations, and also in the rural areas of developed nations such as Canada and the United States. In New Zealand, they are known as 'metal roads'...

s in addition to its fine railroad facilities. One gravel road (also known as a pike) ran north-south through town and the entire county. In addition, another gravel road crossed town east-west, and it had several branches, including one as long as eight miles. In the mid 1890s, the town was believed to have more paved streets (made from cedar blocks) than any town of its size in the state of Indiana. During June 1896, work was begun on Hartford City’s first brick

Brick

A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...

street

Road

A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...

1880s and the Gas Boom

In the early 1880s, Hartford City had about 1,800 residents, including 10 registered physicians. The city had three churches, a school, two hotels, a bank, and at least two newspapers. Manufacturing included two saw mills, a hub and spoke factory, a brick and tile factory, a flour mill, and more. Railroad service was available, with connections to the major cities of the day. The town also had two good gravel roads running east-west and north-south through the city.

During the late 1880s, the discovery of natural gas in east central Indiana led to a gas boom

Indiana Gas Boom

in east central Indiana. Some oil was also found in the area. The region of natural gas included Hartford City, and the town could add natural gas to its excellent transportation facilities as incentive for manufacturers to locate there. Jesse H. Dowell organized the Hartford City National Gas and Oil Company, and this company drilled the city's first gas well in 1887. By 1894, the Gas Boom enabled the town to have the financial resources to build a new courthouse and its own public water supply. By 1895, Hartford City had 10 natural gas companies. As an indication that Hartford City had become a boom town, an 1895 directory lists 24 saloons

Bar (establishment)

A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...

and 13 law firm

Law firm

A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...

s.

Numerous manufacturing companies moved to the "Gas Belt" area, lured by promises of free or low-cost natural gas and the excellent transportation service. Some of the companies that began manufacturing in Hartford City during the boom are: Hartford City Glass Company, Sneath Glass Company

Sneath Glass Company

The Sneath Glass Company was an American manufacturer of glass that was established in 1889 in Tiffin, Ohio, under the name Tiffin Glass Company. Two years later, the company was renamed Sneath Glass Company, and it was reorganized and moved to Hartford City, Indiana, in 1894. Originally, lantern...

, Hartford City Paper Company, Utility Paper Company, Congress Cycle Company, Willman Lumber Company, A.A. Bowman & Company (a manufacturer of buggies and light vehicles), and Winklebeck & Winning (hoops and lumber). Hartford City Glass Company was acquired by American Window Glass Company just before 1900. Hartford City’s population increased from 1,470 in 1880 to 5,912 in 1900. During 1901, Indiana state inspectors visited 15 manufacturing facilities in Hartford City, which employed 1,077 people. This was a huge increase in manufacturing employment considering the entire county had only 171 people working in manufacturing in June 1880. American Window Glass Company was the largest employer of the manufacturers inspected, with two plants employing a total of 508 people. The Sneath Glass Company was the second largest employer, with 130 employees. The third and fourth largest employers were also glass-related businesses, making bottles. The lumber, tile, and foundry & machine works industries were also represented.

The brief boom transformed much of east central Indiana from an agriculture-oriented economy to an economy that also included manufacturing. Blackford County

Blackford County, Indiana

and adjacent Delaware

Delaware County, Indiana

, and Grant

Grant County, Indiana

Grant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 70,061. The county seat is Marion. Important paleontological discoveries dating from the Pliocene epoch have been made at Pipe Creek Sinkhole in Grant County.-Geography:According to the 2010...

counties all had their population double in the twenty years from 1880 to 1900. Hartford City became even more connected to the larger cities in the state, such as Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, by the interurban

Interurban

An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...

rail line that began running in 1905 on Jefferson Street through the middle of town. By 1905, the gas boom was mostly over, as much of the natural gas was wasted or mismanaged. However, Hartford City was permanently changed. Manufacturing

Manufacturing

became important in addition to agriculture

Agriculture

Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

, and the town had a skilled workforce

Workforce

The workforce is the labour pool in employment. It is generally used to describe those working for a single company or industry, but can also apply to a geographic region like a city, country, state, etc. The term generally excludes the employers or management, and implies those involved in...

. The town had grown large enough to incorporate as a city

City

A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...

. The city’s prosperity enabled it to have a good quality infrastructure

Infrastructure

Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...

: a water works

Water supply

Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...

, two railroads plus the interurban system, and brick

Brick

road

Road

s. Many of the buildings built around the town square at that time are still in use over 100 years later – including the courthouse, library, and some of the churches.

New technology had also come to town. An 1895 directory lists two telephone companies within the city in addition to a telegraph company. Hartford City had at least one automobile

Automobile

An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...

by 1900, as Mr. Ed Cooley took delivery of an electric

Electric car

An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...

runabout

Runabout (car)

Runabouts were a popular car body style at the beginning of the 20th Century. They were small, inexpensive, open cars. Most runabouts had just a single row of seats, providing seating for two passengers. Many also had a tonneau at the rear to provide optional seating for four or five...

. The 1,700 pound vehicle could run 30 miles on one charge at speeds of at least 16 miles per hour. In 1908, talking pictures were seen in Hartford City for the first time. The three pictures, shown at the Star Theatre, featured Black Patti

Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones

Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones, known as Sissieretta Jones, was an African-American soprano. She sometimes was called "The Black Patti" in reference to Italian opera singer Adelina Patti...

, the Heidelberg Quartette, and the Johnson Cake Walkers.

After the Gas Boom

After the gas boom, some of the towns that had fewer businesses became ghost towns. However, most of the manufacturers did not immediately move from the area because there was no gas boom elsewhere. Many of Hartford City’s skilled workers remained living in town. The two largest employers, American Window Glass and Sneath Glass, continued operations. The American Window Glass plant lasted until the Great Depression, as its manufacturing process gradually became obsolete. Sneath Glass

Sneath Glass Company

lasted until the 1950s, when the new plastics industry made many of its products obsolete. Another company from the boom era, Willman Lumber, was still operating in the 1970s. While Blackford County’s post-boom population declined, Hartford City’s remained stable. Some of the local workforce became employed in nearby cities such as Muncie

Muncie, Indiana

, Marion

Marion, Indiana

Marion is a city in Grant County, Indiana, United States. The population was 29,948 as of the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Grant County...

, and Anderson

Anderson, Indiana

Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses Madison county. Anderson is the headquarters of the Church of God and home of Anderson University, which is...

, where jobs related to the new automobile industry were available.

In the 1920s, city leaders convinced Overhead Door Company to move its headquarters and manufacturing to Hartford City. Overhead Door grew and became a major employer in town for the next 40 years. Gas Boom companies Hartford City Paper, American Window Glass, and Sneath Glass

Sneath Glass Company

were still operating plants in the city. Another paper mill that would have a long future in town was the Fort Wayne Corrugated Paper Company, which built a plant in the city in 1921. By the 1930s, major town business establishments included Hartford Ice Company, Overhead Door, multiple glass factories, and paper mills.

George D. Stevens

George D. Stevens, a former executive at Hartford City’s Fort Wayne Corrugated Paper Company, shocked the city after his death. Stevens moved to Hartford City in 1911. He was a quiet, distinguished-looking, widower that lived alone at the Hotel Hartford. He had natural mechanical skills, and rose to an executive engineering position at the city's Fort Wayne Corrugated paper mill

Paper mill

A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...

. Stevens became one of the wealth

Wealth

Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions. The word wealth is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem...

iest men in town, and was chauffeur

Chauffeur

A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide...

ed to and from work. He received a patent

Patent

A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....

in 1931, and perhaps this was a hint of additional sources of income that helped him accumulate his wealth. Stevens was known as a philanthropist

Philanthropy

Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...

within the community, and also started the Akron Foundation in his original home town of Akron, Ohio

Akron, Ohio

Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...

. He became one of Hartford City's leading citizens, and joined the town’s Rotary Club

Rotary International

Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...

, Elks Lodge

Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is an American fraternal order and social club founded in 1868...

, and Masonic Lodge

Masonic Lodge

This article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...

. His quiet social life

Social relation

In social science, a social relation or social interaction refers to a relationship between two , three or more individuals . Social relations, derived from individual agency, form the basis of the social structure. To this extent social relations are always the basic object of analysis for social...

often involved simply sitting in the lobby of the Hotel Hartford, and chatting with those that approached him. He died in Hartford City of chronic myocarditis

Myocarditis

Myocarditis is inflammation of heart muscle . It resembles a heart attack but coronary arteries are not blocked.Myocarditis is most often due to infection by common viruses, such as parvovirus B19, less commonly non-viral pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi or Trypanosoma cruzi, or as a...

at the age of 80 on April 8, 1940. His death was front page news in the local newspapers, and the paper mill shut down for a half day. Some of the citizens of Hartford City attended Stevens’ funeral

Funeral

A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...

260 miles away in Akron – and were surprised to learn that Stevens was a black man

Black people

The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...

that had been living as a white man

White people

White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...

in an all-white town. Given the Ku Klux Klan

Ku Klux Klan

Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...

activities in Hartford City during the 1920s (all other blacks left town during that time), perhaps Stevens felt his masquerade was necessary. Black or white, Hartford City was fortunate to have George Stevens as a member of the community.

Post War

Manufacturing in Hartford City was different after World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

and the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

. The glass factories of the area were no longer the most important employers, as most of them had shut down. The community was fortunate to have Overhead Door and Fort Wayne Corrugated as major employers in addition to the auto parts manufacturers in nearby towns. Soon, another company came to town and joined Overhead Door as an important employer. In 1955, 3M

3M Company , formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States....

(Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing), purchased the former (boom company) Hartford City Paper plant in Hartford City, and became one of the city's major employers. Although the products have changed through the years, 3M still employs over 200 people at the Hartford City plant, which is currently (2009) a tape manufacturing facility. Not far from the 3M plant, the Fort Wayne Corrugated Paper Company plant closed in 1959. However, the plant was purchased by St. Joe Paper Company and continued operations.

By 1964, Overhead Door’s growth enabled the company’s stock to be listed in the American Stock Exchange, and it had multiple manufacturing facilities including the Hartford City plant. The company simply outgrew Hartford City. In 1965, it relocated its headquarters to Dallas, Texas. The Overhead Door manufacturing plant in Hartford City continued production, but it eventually cut back its operations in 1985. In 2000, the plant was closed.

During the 1980s, the economic decline of the "Rust Belt

Rust Belt

The Rust Belt is a term that gained currency in the 1980s as the informal description of an area straddling the Midwestern and Northeastern United States, in which local economies traditionally garnered an increased manufacturing sector to add jobs and corporate profits...

" region of the United States (and cutbacks at Overhead Door) coincided with the decline in Hartford City’s population. The recent economic difficulties for the automobile industry

Automotive industry crisis of 2008–2009

The automotive industry crisis of 2008–2010 was a part of a global financial downturn. The crisis affected European and Asian automobile manufacturers, but it was primarily felt in the American automobile manufacturing industry...

have also been unfortunate for the economy of Hartford City, but the town continues to work to attract new businesses.

Newspapers

The Hartford City Times, which began in 1852, is considered by most sources as the community’s first newspaper

Newspaper

A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...

. It was published by Dr. John E. Moler. However, this newspaper was used mostly for advertising, and therefore some may consider it more of an advertiser than a newspaper. The Blackford County News was started later in 1852, and is considered by at least one source as the city’s first newspaper. The town's (and county's) first daily newspaper, the Evening News, was started in 1894 by Edward Everett Cox

Edward Everett Cox

Edward Everett Cox was an American newspaper publisher who started Blackford County’s first daily newspaper in Hartford City, Indiana. He is “considered one of the most influential forces in journalism” in Blackford County, and was a strong supporter of the Democratic Party...

. The Evening News was eventually renamed the Hartford City News.

Hartford City had numerous newspaper companies from 1852 until the end of the 19th century. Many of those companies went out of business shortly after a new newspaper was started, although the town was able to support multiple newspapers during the Gas Boom

Indiana Gas Boom

period.

By the 20th century (and after the Gas Boom), the Hartford City newspaper business became more stable. The Hartford City News and the Hartford City Times were major newspapers from the previous century that were still publishing. The Times was the voice of the Republican Party

Republican Party (United States)

, and the News was the voice of the Democratic Party

Democratic Party (United States)

.

The Blackford County Gazette began in 1901, and it had a column written in French to attract the French-speaking

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

Belgian

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

glass workers living mostly in the south side of the city. In 1905, the Hartford City Times and Blackford County Gazette were merged, and the new weekly became known as the Times-Gazette. The Times-Gazette and the daily Hartford City News became the leading newspapers in town. E. E. Cox

Edward Everett Cox

, considered one of the most influential figures in journalism in Blackford County, ran the Hartford City News for about 40 years before he died in 1931. The Cox family sold the Hartford City News to the owners of the Times-Gazette in 1937, and the combined entity became the Hartford City News-Times. The Hartford City News-Times, changing ownership over the years, continued operations through the 20th century. Beginning 2007, the Hartford City News-Times began using the name News-Times on its web site (without Hartford City), and calls itself "Blackford County’s only daily newspaper".

City Borders

In the late 1830s, the community of Hartford was just a few log cabins along Lick Creek. Thre were no "streets", only paths that had been cleared between the cabins. The future town was eventually "platt

Platt

Platt may refer to:Places* Platt, Florida, an unincorporated community in DeSoto County, Florida, United States* Platt, Austria* Platt, Kent, EnglandPeople* Platt * Platt Baronets, two baronetcies of the United KingdomOther uses...

ed" mostly north of Lick Creek using the Public Land Survey System

Public Land Survey System

The Public Land Survey System is a method used in the United States to survey and identify land parcels, particularly for titles and deeds of rural, wild or undeveloped land. Its basic units of area are the township and section. It is sometimes referred to as the rectangular survey system,...

typical of Northwest Ordinance

Northwest Ordinance

The Northwest Ordinance was an act of the Congress of the Confederation of the United States, passed July 13, 1787...

communities. A map of Hartford in 1847 shows the original courthouse in the area where today’s courthouse is located. One could not travel in any direction from the courthouse for more than two blocks without arriving at a farm. Walnut Street was on the west side of the community, and it was the road to take north to travel from Hartford to Dundee

Roll, Indiana

Roll is an unincorporated American community in Washington Township, Blackford County, 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...

.

The adjacent map shows the borders of Hartford City as a town in 1876 in red, and the borders of the city in 2009 in blue. In 1876, the town of Hartford City would still have not experienced the Gas Boom

Indiana Gas Boom

that caused much of its growth. Walnut Street, which would eventually become part of Indiana State Road 3

Indiana State Road 3

State Road 3 in the U.S. State of Indiana is a discontinuous state road running through east central Indiana from near the Michigan state line to near the Ohio River...

, was the one road that ran from the town’s northern border to the town’s southern border and beyond. Washington Street, which eventually became part of Indiana State Road 26

Indiana State Road 26

State Road 26 is an east–west road in central Indiana in the United States that crosses the entire state from east to west, covering a distance of about .-Route description:...

crossed the town at its eastern and western borders and beyond. Kickapoo Street was the northernmost street running east-west that ran completely from the western border to the eastern border. A portion of the land north of Kickapoo within the town's corporate limits had no streets. On the south side, Sherman Street was the southernmost street on the east side of town, and is not far from Lick Creek. As can be seen, much (but not all) of Hartford City's expansion was to the north and west. The area north of Park Avenue was all farm land until the 1950s.

Schools

Hartford City, known as Hartford at the time, had a private school established by missionaries around 1838. In general, schools in the surrounding Blackford County

Blackford County, Indiana

area began being organized around 1840. Like other buildings at that time, the school buildings were log cabins. Teachers were paid by the local community. Frame buildings began being used throughout the county by the 1860s. Educational emphasis in the classroom was originally placed on "the three Rs

The three Rs

The three Rs are the foundations of a basic skills-orientated education program within schools: Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic.The phrase is attributed to a toast given by Sir William Curtis around 1825...

": reading, writing, and arithmetic.

Hartford City first organized a public school in 1853, before the community was incorporated. The school was administered by the township trustee until Hartford City incorporated as a town in 1857. The brick school structure had two rooms. Additional small buildings were utilized in Hartford City as demands for classroom space increased following the Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

. By 1886, the entire county had 47 school "houses", and employed 56 teachers. Hartford City's participation in the Indiana Gas Boom

Indiana Gas Boom

caused even more demand for classroom space during the 1890s. The city responded by building a two-story schoolhouse on the north edge of town. The building, known as the "North Building", was located on North High Street, and it was ready for students in January, 1892.

In the 1890s and earlier, only a few of the town's students graduated from high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

. For example, in 1896, Hartford City High School's 15th graduating class consisted of a total of seven students: five girls and two boys. The town had a problem with eighth grade students deciding to not continue their education into high school. This was especially a problem for boys, who may have been lured by work available in a city enjoying a "boom" because of the abundant natural gas. In the 1890s and the following decade, Hartford City had numerous glass

Glass

Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...

works – nine glass factories are listed in a 1906 city directory

City directory

A city directory is a listing of residents, streets, businesses, organizations or institutions, giving their location in a city. Antedating telephone directories, they have been in use for centuries....

. Glass factories were notorious for employing underage children. Some of the area companies were fined by the state for employing underage children. Complicating the matter, the North Building that housed high school and other students was destroyed by fire in January 1897. A second building, in the same location, burned down in 1903. The city built two school buildings on the same north site in 1905 — and those brick buildings did not burn. The two buildings would serve the community for more than 60 years. One of the buildings was an elementary school

Elementary school

An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...

known as North Ward, and the other was Hartford City High School. Both buildings had two stories plus a basement, and the high school had an assembly room and gym.

Major Hartford City High school courses around 1900 were Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

, mathematics

Mathematics

Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...

, science

Science

Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...

, history

History

History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...

, and English

English studies

English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...

. In 1906, the town added to its high school curriculum

Curriculum

See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...

not only to improve the quality of education available to the students, but also as an effort to attract and retain older students. The English-Latin course of study was retained, but scientific and commercial courses were added. Some of these new classes included bookkeeping

Bookkeeping

Bookkeeping is the recording of financial transactions. Transactions include sales, purchases, income, receipts and payments by an individual or organization. Bookkeeping is usually performed by a bookkeeper. Bookkeeping should not be confused with accounting. The accounting process is usually...

, cooking

Cooking

Cooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...

, drafting

Drafting

Drafting or draughting may refer to:* Campdrafting, an Australian equestrian sport* Drafting , slipstreaming* Technical drawing, the act and discipline of composing diagrams that communicates how something functions or is to be constructed. E.g.:** Architectural drawing** Electrical drawing**...

, sewing

Sewing

Sewing is the craft of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with a needle and thread. Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic era...

, typewriting

Typewriter

A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical device with keys that, when pressed, cause characters to be printed on a medium, usually paper. Typically one character is printed per keypress, and the machine prints the characters by making ink impressions of type elements similar to the pieces...

, and woodworking

Woodworking

Woodworking is the process of building, making or carving something using wood.-History:Along with stone, mud, and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked by early humans. Microwear analysis of the Mousterian stone tools used by the Neanderthals show that many were used to work wood...

. The upgrade was popular with parents and students, as high school enrollment increased 50 percent in two years. The new high school may have also been an enticement for students, and additions were made to the structure in 1915. The photo herein shows Hartford City High School around 1922, before a larger gym

Gym

The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...

was added. The larger gym enabled Hartford City to host sectional basketball tournaments, and the original gym eventually became a room for the band

Marching band

Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...

. Hartford City High School was replaced by Blackford High School in the Fall 1969 school year. The new high school also included students from Montpelier High School.

As the city grew, it became necessary to have an elementary school in each quadrant of town. Some of these original elementary schools were outgrown and replaced. Parkside Elementary School was built on the west side of town adjacent to Sigma Phi Gamma park

Park

A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...

. It replaced an old west side school and the elementary portion of the North Ward school. Construction begain in August 1954, and part of the school was ready for students at the beginning of the 1955-1956 school year. The building was the first electrically-heated school in the entire region north of the Ohio River

Ohio River

The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...

and east of the Rocky Mountains

Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...

. By 1959, the school had capacity for a kindergarten

Kindergarten

A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...

and two classes each for grades one through six. The school also had a cafeteria

Cafeteria

A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...

that saw additional use as a gym.

Hartford City Junior High School was built in 1962 next to Parkside Elementary, and students moved from the North Ward and Hartford City High School to the junior high

Middle school

Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...

in January 1963. Elementary schools that fed into the junior high in the 1960s included Parkside, Southside, Northside, and William Reed Elementary. (William Reed was named after a Hartford City school superintendent that served near the end of the 19th century.) In addition, students from two rural elementary schools, located in the county's Licking Township

Licking Township, Blackford County, Indiana

and Jackson Township

Jackson Township, Blackford County, Indiana

Jackson Township is one of four townships in Blackford County, Indiana. At the 2000 census, its population was 1,424. The township was named after Andrew Jackson, hero of the Battle of New Orleans and the seventh President of the United States.-Geography:...

, also attended. At this time, the junior high school

Middle school

Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...

building is now (2009) a middle school serving the entire county.

Sports

Sports are important to small towns, and are sometimes the major form of entertainment. Hartford City has had its share of individual athletes that excelled in their high school sport and continued to play at the collegiate level. A basketball example is Harry Ayers, captain of the 1902-03 Indiana University basketball team. Another example is Erika Wicoff, three-time Big Ten golf champion for Indiana University.
In Hartford City, high school basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

, baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

and (American) football enjoyed popularity. The state of Indiana is well known for its "Hoosier Hysteria

Hoosier Hysteria

Hoosier Hysteria is the state of excitement surrounding basketball in Indiana, or more specifically the Indiana high school basketball tournament. In part, the excitement stemmed from the inclusion of all tournament entrants into the same tournament, where a small town's David might knock off a...

" over high school basketball. Currently (2009), Hartford City's Blackford High School gym

Gym

The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...

seats 4,000 for basketball, which means over half the town could sit in the high school's gym.

Hartford City High School sports teams began in 1908 with a coachless basketball team. A football program started in 1923, but was abandoned three years later. There was no team nickname until 1923, when the football team became known as the Copperheads. That year’s basketball team was called the Scarlet Scourge. A year or two later, the team became permanently known as the Airedales

Airedale Terrier

The Airedale Terrier is a breed of the terrier type that originated in Airedale, a geographic area in Yorkshire, England. It is traditionally called the "King of Terriers" because it is the largest of the terrier breeds...

. The story behind the Airedale nickname involved Albert Cox, who also happened to be the son of one of the local newspaper publishers, E.E. Cox

Edward Everett Cox

. Albert was the school's "yell leader", and he had a pet Airedale. (See 1923 basketball team picture below. Cox is holding the basketball.) The dog liked to follow its owner to team practices, and became the school mascot

Mascot

The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...

. Thus, the Hartford City High School teams became known as the Airedales. Albert Cox eventually served in World War II

World War II

, and is listed on Hartford City’s monument to World War II veterans. However, the dog achieved more fame than its owner.

Basketball

In the early years of the 20th century, the only varsity sport at Hartford City High School was basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

. Hartford City’s greatest success in high school basketball was the 1919-1920 season, which took place before the state tournament had "Regionals" and "Semifinals". Hartford City was coached by Homer Stonebraker, a former semi-professional basketball player who is now considered one of the state’s all-time greatest high school basketball players. As a high school basketball player elsewhere in Indiana, Mr. Stonebraker once scored 74 points in a regular season game, and led two state championship teams. The Stonebraker-coached Hartford City 1919-1920 team finished the season with a 26-win and 5-loss record, reaching the final four in the Indiana state basketball tournament before being eliminated in a 21 to 16 loss. Earlier in the season, Hartford City defeated Roll

Roll, Indiana

High School by a score of 164 to 6.

Hartford City basketball teams had several other famous coaches. Former Purdue basketball player Blair Gullion coached the team (basketball and football) during the mid-1920s, and later became head coach at several universities. It may be coincidence, but Hartford City High School colors were black and gold – the same as Purdue colors. Coach J.B. Good was the most successful coach, with six sectional championships during the 1930s. A coach during the 1960s, Dave McCracken, is the son of Branch McCracken

Branch McCracken

Branch McCracken was a college men's basketball coach.As a player at Indiana, the Monrovia, Indiana native was a three-year letter winner for Hall of Fame coach Everett Dean...

, Indiana University’s coach for the university’s 1940 and 1953 national championships.

The most unexpected basketball tournament success came in 1953, when the "oft-beaten" Hartford City Airedales advanced to the final eight teams in the state tournament by winning against undefeated and once-defeated teams in the Marion Regional. The regional championship game was won by Hartford City in overtime with a final score of 67 to 64. The game had been tied at 64 with 95 seconds to play, and a basket by the Airedales’ Tom Smith plus a free throw by Don McDermott accounted for the margin of victory. The speedy Hartford City team won its first game in the state semi-final, but then was beaten by a tall Richmond team that featured 6’6” and 6’5” big men.

Hartford City High School won 14 sectionals and 3 regionals in about 60 years of boys basketball tournament action. Hartford City High School was consolidated into Blackford High School

Blackford High School (Hartford City, Indiana)

Blackford High School is a public high school in Hartford City, Indiana, which includes grades 9 through 12. It is part of the , and is the sole public high school serving all of Blackford County...

in 1969, and over the next 40 years Blackford won 10 sectionals. Former Montpelier High School coach Jon Stroup coached Blackford High School to eight of its sectional championships. It should also be noted that until the 1997-1998 season, the Indiana High School basketball tournament was a single tournament – teams from all sizes of schools played in the same tournament. Hartford City High was considerably smaller than many high schools, and Blackford High School typically has less than 1,000 students.

Football

Although Hartford City High School briefly attempted (American) football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

in during the 1920s, the school football program did not begin permanently until 1945. After some unsuccessful years, the 1950 team coached by John Carbone was undefeated, winning the Central Indiana Conference championship. The football field was located adjacent to the city’s Sigma Phi Gamma Park, which was within walking distance of the high school.

Two factors during the 1960s contributed to future football success in Hartford City. First, the city began a Pee Wee Football

Pop Warner Little Scholars

Pop Warner Little Scholars is a non-profit organization that provides youth football, cheerleading, and dance programs for participants in 43 U.S. states and several countries around the world. It is headquartered in Langhorne, Pennsylvania...

program for younger players. Second, the 1969 merger of Hartford City High School with Montpelier High School meant that the one high school would have incoming players with experience from two junior high schools instead of just one. The new Blackford High School was the state runner-up in the first Indiana AA Football Championship in 1973. The following year, the Blackford Bruins won their first state AA football championship by the score of 28 to 14. The undefeated Bruins team was coached by former Hartford City High School coach Eldon Leeth, and averaged over 400 yards of offense per game. Bud Brown (3 touchdowns in the championship game) was the leading running back in the high-powered wishbone offense. A second AA championship was won in 1979, when coach Charles Lori’s team defeated Noblesville 24 to 22.

Baseball

Hartford City had baseball

Baseball

teams as early as the 1890s. These teams would travel to nearby cities such as Portland, Indiana

Portland, Indiana

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 6,437 people, 2,739 households, and 1,750 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,566.8 people per square mile . There were 2,928 housing units at an average density of 712.7 per square mile...

, to play exhibition games. In 1905, playing baseball on Sunday became an issue in town. Members of the Christian community believed that baseball games played on Sundays would be contrary to their religious beliefs. A proposed compromise solution to the problem involved guest ministers and pre-game sermons. This compromise was accepted, and baseball
was played on Sundays after a sermon at the ball park.

Younger players in town have also enjoyed the baseball tradition. A junior baseball league began in 1932 with support from the local Rotary Club. Eight teams were organized with fifteen players each, ranging in age from 11 to 17 years old. Hartford City has had various baseball leagues for many years since the Rotary Club's league, including Little League, Babe Ruth League, and Men’s Slow-Pitch

Softball

Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...

. The town takes pride in having baseball facilities for players of all ages.

Hartford City's current local high school, Blackford High, has won six (boys) regional baseball championships. The 1976-77 and 1977-78 teams finished second in the state tournament. Both of those outstanding teams were coached by Craig Moore. Several players from the 1970s are worth noting. Blackford High School player Brian Lanham was the recipient of the L. V. Phillips Mental Attitude Award for the 1977-78 season. The recipient of this award must excel in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability in baseball. Other Blackford High School players of note include Tim Oberholtzer, who played for Indiana University; Leroy Robbins, who played for the University of Kentucky; and Leroy’s brother, Bruce Robbins

Bruce Robbins

Bruce Duane Robbins is a former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers from 1979 to 1980. Robbins, a left-handed batter, also threw left-handed.- Early life :...

, who was drafted by a professional team after high school.

Weather

The highest recorded temperature for Hartford City was 103.0 °F (39.0 °C) on June 25, 1988, and the lowest recorded temperature was −26.0 °F (−32.0 °C) on January 19, 1994. June is typically the wettest month, with an average of 4.33 inches of precipitation. Hartford City has endured a few tornados, including a category 4 (maximum speeds 207 to 260 mph) on Palm Sunday (April 11) in 1965 that crossed Blackford County 7 miles from the center of the city. Two category 1 tornados crossed the middle of town in 2002. Hail 4.5 inches in diameter fell in Hartford City on April 9, 2001. In a tie with the city of Cayuga, those hail "stones" are the largest ever recorded in the state of Indiana. The biggest snow storm in recent memory for Hartford City was the Great Blizzard of 1978

Great Blizzard of 1978

The Great Blizzard of 1978 was a historic blizzard which struck the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes from January 25–27, 1978. The 28.28 inches barometric pressure measurement recorded in Cleveland, Ohio was the lowest non-tropical atmospheric pressure ever recorded in the mainland United States...

, which occurred on January 26–27, 1978.

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