Delaware County is a county in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 111,903. The county seat is Muncie.
Delaware County is part of the Muncie, IN metropolitan statistical area, which is part of the larger Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie CSA.
History
Delaware County was authorized in Jan. 1820 on New Purchase lands south of the Wabash River gained with the 1818 Treaty of St. Mary's. It encompassed the drainage basin of the White River, along which the Delaware, a Native American people had settled, and from which the County takes its name. The Delaware people were moved to lands west of the Mississippi River in the 1840s. The county was once home to Tenskwatawa ("The Prophet"), a brother of Tecumseh who instigated a major Indian uprising in 1811 culminating in the Battle of Tippecanoe. David Conner, a trader, was the first white settler, arriving in the early 1810s. After formation, numerous counties were carved from the original, and a remnant retaining the original name was organized in 1827.
Following the American Civil War the county experienced an economic boom caused by the discovery of natural gas, which spurred rapid industrial growth in the surrounding area.
The first discovery of natural gas in Indiana occurred in 1876 near Eaton. A company was drilling in search of coal, and when they had reaching a depth of six-hundred feet, there was a loud noise and foul-smelling fumes came from the well. After a brief investigation, it was decided they had breached the ceiling of Hell, and the hole was quickly filled in. In 1884, when natural gas was discovered in nearby Ohio, people recalled the incident. They returned to the spot and opened Indiana's first natural gas well. The gas was so abundant and strong that when the well was lit, the flames could be seen from Muncie.
Geography
Delaware County consists of low rolling prairie, accented by waterways. The Mississinewa River flows westward through the northern part of the county while the White River runs westward through the central part of the county, through Muncie. A large reservoir, Prairie Creek Reservoir, SE of Muncie is managed by the city. The soil is fertile. The county's high point is a hilly area in its SE corner, ESE from Prairie Creek Reservoir.
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 99.04%) is land and (or 0.95%) is water.
Major highways
Interstate 69
U.S. Route 35
State Road 3
State Road 28
State Road 32
State Road 67
State Road 167
State Road 332
Adjacent counties
Blackford County - north
Jay County - northeast
Randolph County - east
Henry County - south
Madison County - west
Grant County - northwest
Cities and towns
Albany - town
Chesterfield - town
Daleville - town
Eaton - town
Gaston - town
Muncie - city
Selma - town
Yorktown - town
Unincorporated communities
Anthony
Bethel
Cammack
Cowan
Cross Roads
DeSoto
Gates Corner
Granville
Janney
Medford
Middletown Park
Mt Pleasant
New Burlington
Oakville
Progress
Reed Station
Royerton
Smithfield
Stockport
West Muncie
Wheeling
Townships
Center
Delaware
Hamilton
Harrison
Liberty
Monroe
Mount Pleasant
Niles
Perry
Salem
Union
Washington
Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Muncie have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in January to in June.
Government
The county government is a constitutional body, granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana and the Indiana Code.