Blackford County Indiana

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Blackford County, Indiana is the smallest county in northern Indiana, and fourth smallest for the entire state. Formed in 1838, it was named for Isaac Blackford, Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court at the time. Much of the county was wetlands prior to European settlement, but these were eventually drained so that the land could be farmed. Today, most land in the county is used for farning corn or soybeans.

Hartford City, the county seat, began to form at about the same time Blackford County was created. Log cabins sprang up around Lick Creek, and there was alledgedly a place to cross the waterway that became known as Hart's Ford. This gradually changed into Hartford. Since there was already another town in Indiana called Hartford, "City" was added to the town's name. During the first two years of Blackford County's existence, Hartford City and Montpieler competed to be the county seat. The area around Hartford City had a larger population, but Montpelier was the oldest platted community in the county. The matter was finally settled by the Indiana legislature.

Blackford County's best known resident is probably the Miami war chief Francois Godfroy. He was the son of a French trader and a Miami woman. During the War of 1812, he led the Miamis against the United States Army at the Battle of Mississinewa. Later he was involved in negotiations between the United States and the Miami Indians. In Montpelier there is a historical marker about Godfroy and a very large statue of him behind it.