Blackford County INGenWeb
Welcome to Blackford County INGenWeb Project
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 2010 census, the county's population is 12,766 people in 5,236 households. Based on population, the county is the 8th smallest county of the 92 in Indiana.
Before the arrival of European-American settlers during the 1830s, the northeastern portion of the future Blackford County was briefly the site of an Indian reservation for Chief Francois Godfroy of the Miami tribe. The first European-American pioneers were typically farmers that settled near rivers where the land had drainage suitable for agriculture. Originally, the county was mostly swampland, but more land became available for farming as the marshes were cleared and drained. Over the next 30 years, small communities slowly developed throughout the county. When the county's rail lines were constructed in the 1860s and 1870s, additional communities evolved around railroad stops!
About the County Courthouse
The decision of Judge Joseph Custer to condemn the old courthouse of 1841 that was made of a wooden "log" structure ended on January 19, 1893 to begin a new era for a new courthouse, which stands today in Blackford County... click here to read more
About the County Coordinator
This county is currently available! If you are interested in adopting Blackford County, please see our Volunteers page for more information.
Surrounding Counties: The following surrounding neighboring counties starting on the north side of Blackford County is Wells County. And then to the east side is Jay County. On the south side of Blackford County is Delaware County. And finally, to the west side Is Grant County.