A Brief History of Wayne County Indiana
Wayne County, Indiana was formed in 1811. It was named for Gen. “Mad” Anthony Wayne, who was an officer during the Revolutionary War. Wayne is mainly remembered for his service in the 1790s in the Northwest Indian War, which included many actions in Indiana and Ohio.
Richmond, Indiana was settled along the East Fork of the Whitewater River in 1806 by Quaker families from North Carolina. John Smith and David Hoover were among the earliest settlers. Richmond is still home to several Quaker institutions including Friends United Meeting, Earlham College and the Earlham School of Religion.
Richmond is believed to have been the smallest community in the United States with a professional opera company and symphony orchestra. The Whitewater Opera has since closed its doors but the Richmond Symphony Orchestra is a source of community pride. Will Earhart formed the first complete high school orchestra in Richmond in 1899. A later orchestra director, Joseph E. Maddy went on to found what is now known as the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan. –Wikipedia
The Cities of Wayne County Indiana
Richmond
Richmond, Indiana a city largely within Wayne Township, Wayne County, in east central Indiana, on the border with Ohio. The city includes the Richmond Municipal Airport in Boston Township which is separated from the rest of the city. It is sometimes called the “birthplace of recorded jazz” because early jazz records originated here at Gennett Records, a division of the Starr Piano Company. Richmond is the county seat of Wayne County. The city’s 2000 population was 39,124. In the 1990s, Richmond’s population declined by 1.6 percent.
The city has twice received the All-America City Award, most recently in a youth-initiated 2009 effort. –Wikipedia
Other Cities in Wayne County Indiana
Boston
Boston is a town in Boston Township, Wayne County, Indiana, United States. The population was 177 at the 2000 census.
Cambridge City
Cambridge City was platted on October 23, 1836 and celebrated its Sesquicentennial in 1986. The town celebrates its history and heritage during the second weekend in each September during the annual Canal Days festival, which commemorates the importance of the Whitewater Canal to the formation and growth of Cambridge City in the 19th century. Situated along the historic National Road (U.S. 40), Cambridge City is currently a prominent destination for antique seekers and is the home of many notable American figures including:
Buckskin Ben – a famous show business personality of the 1890s
“Single G” – a world famous pacer who won many horse races during the Great Depression
Solomon Meredith – a Quaker general in the American Civil War
The Overbeck Sisters – four daughters of John and Sarah Overbeck who hand-produced their internationally-known Overbeck Art Pottery in Cambridge City from 1911–1955, noted for their Arts and Crafts designs, distinctive glazes and work in the grotesque style
Huddleston Farmhouse – The Huddleston Farmhouse Inn & Museum is located right outside Cambridge City in the small village of Mt. Auburn on the National Road. It is the eastern regional office of the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana and the headquarters of the Indiana National Road Association. Cambridge City is noted for its abundance in historic architecture, specifically in the Federal, Greek Revival, and Italianate styles. Famous structures include Rose Hill, the Conklin-Montgomery House, the Overbeck-Mattheis House, the Meredith-Rice House, the Bertsch House (home of the town’s resident physician James Bertsch, D.O.), the Scheilder/Biser House, the Demwiddle-Mattingly House, the Martin Funk-Johnson House, the Fowler House, and many more.
Vinton House – The Vinton House of Cambridge City is a former hotel that was established in 1847. This building sits at the former intersection of the National Road (U.S 40) and the Whitewater Canal. The canal’s turnaround basin rested just a few feet from the Vinton House’s rear door, which brought in passengers and goods from Cincinnati.
Centerville
Centerville is a town in Center Township, Wayne County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,427 at the 2000 census.
Centerville was platted in 1814 on land that once belonged to the Miami Indians and was settled by Quakers from Carolina and Virginia. Owing to its central location in Wayne County, Centerville was selected as the county seat in 1818. In 1873, the county seat was moved to Richmond, Indiana. In 1828, the National Road, Main Street, was surveyed and later became the first improved section of the trail in 1850 by a Special Act of the U.S. Congress.
Centerville’s cobblestone street was a major stop along the trail to the West. During the height of the Gold Rush, 49,000 wagons would travel along the street each year.
Dublin
Dublin is a town in Jackson Township, Wayne County, Indiana, United States. The population was 697 at the 2000 census. East Germantown
Economy
Economy is a town in Perry Township, Wayne County, Indiana, United States. The population was 200 at the 2000 census.
East German Town
East Germantown or Pershing is a town in Jackson Township, Wayne County, Indiana, United States. The population was 243 at the 2000 census.
Fountain City
Fountain City, formerly Newport, is a town in Wayne County, Indiana, United States. The population was 735 at the 2000 census. It was formerly known as Newport. Quaker abolitionist and Underground Railroad leader Levi Coffin lived there from 1826 to 1847.
Greens Fork
Greens Fork is a town in Clay Township, Wayne County, Indiana, United States. The population was 371 at the 2000 census.
Hagerstown
Hagerstown is a town in Jefferson Township, Wayne County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 1,768. Hagerstown is locally famous for Welliver’s Smorgasbord restaurant
Milton
Milton is a town in Washington Township, Wayne County, Indiana, United States. The population was 611 at the 2000 census.
Spring Grove
Spring Grove is a town in Wayne Township, Wayne County, Indiana, United States. The population was 386 at the 2000 census.
Whitewater
Whitewater is a town in Franklin Township, Wayne County, Indiana, United States. The population was 78 at the 2000 census.
Other Wayne County Indiana Facts
- Home of “Antique Alley” with Centerville being the hub for antique shops.
- Unfortunately, in the 1920s, Indiana had the strongest Ku Klux Klan organization in the country, with some powerful members hailing from Wayne County, Indiana.
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See Also: The Go Wayne County Directory for important Wayne County links.
Local News: The Latest Wayne County Local News Page
Citations: Wikipedia.org, Wayne County Indiana
