# A History of the Land: 9340 North 300 East, Roanoke, Indiana *A historical report on the property and surrounding area* **Property:** 9340 North 300 East, Roanoke, Indiana 46783 **Coordinates:** 40.965192, -85.39628 **Township:** Jackson Township, Huntington County, Indiana **PLSS Location:** Township 28 North, Range 10 East (Second Principal Meridian), approximately Section 4 or 5 ---  *Current satellite imagery via ESRI World Imagery showing the area around 9340 N 300 E. The landscape is a mosaic of agricultural fields, scattered rural homes, wooded corridors, and small ponds — characteristic of northeast Indiana's glaciated farmland.* --- ## 1. The Land Before — Geography & Geology The story of this land begins not hundreds, but hundreds of millions of years ago. The bedrock beneath 9340 North 300 East is Silurian and Devonian-age limestone and dolomite, formed roughly 420 to 440 million years ago when this part of North America lay beneath warm, shallow seas. Coral reefs, marine organisms, and the slow accumulation of sediment created the carbonate formations that now serve as the region's primary aquifer — about 80 percent of wells in Huntington County draw water from this Silurian-Devonian system. But you'd never see that bedrock. It lies buried beneath more than 250 feet of unconsolidated material — the legacy of the ice ages. During the Wisconsin glaciation, the last great advance of the Laurentide ice sheet (ending roughly 10,000-12,000 years ago), mile-thick glaciers scraped across this landscape, grinding bedrock and depositing enormous volumes of glacial till: a dense mixture of clay, silt, sand, gravel, and boulders. The property sits within the **Tipton Till Plain**, a physiographic region that stretches across much of central and northeastern Indiana. The terrain is flat to gently rolling, with elevations around 780–800 feet above sea level. The land slopes almost imperceptibly toward the waterways that drain it. ### The Little River The most significant waterway near Roanoke is the **Little River** (historically called the Little Wabash or *Petit Rivière*), a headwater tributary of the Wabash River. It originates in Allen County and flows southwest through Huntington County. The Little River's valley was carved by a dramatic event: approximately 14,000 years ago, glacial meltwater that had pooled into a large lake broke through a moraine, rapidly cutting a half-mile-wide strip of low-lying land. The USGS gauging station near Huntington records the Little River's drainage area at 263 square miles. This valley became marshland. By the late 19th century, the so-called **"Great Marsh"** — 25,000 acres of wetland spanning Allen and Huntington Counties — was ditched and drained for agriculture. The Little River valley today bears little resemblance to the wetland prairie that the glaciers left behind. The **Wabash River** itself, the longest free-flowing river east of the Mississippi, flows through Huntington County. The **Forks of the Wabash** — where the Little River meets the Wabash at present-day Huntington — was a place of profound importance for the people who lived here first. ### Soils The glaciers left behind some of the most productive agricultural soils in the United States. The dominant soil series in this area include **Blount** (somewhat poorly drained), **Pewamo** (poorly drained, dark, and extremely fertile when drained), and **Glynwood** (moderately well-drained on slight rises). These soils are high in organic matter with clay to silty clay loam textures — ideal for row-crop agriculture when improved with artificial drainage. ### The Original Ecosystem Before European settlement, this landscape was a mosaic of **deciduous hardwood forest** and **wet prairie**. Beech, sugar maple, white oak, red oak, hickory, black walnut, ash, tulip poplar, and elm formed the forest canopy. Wetlands, swamps, and poorly drained lowlands were threaded throughout. The pre-settlement wildlife included white-tailed deer, black bear, gray wolf, elk, wild turkey, passenger pigeon, beaver, and otter. Extensive drainage projects in the 19th century converted most of this to farmland, fundamentally transforming the landscape.  *USGS NAIP aerial photography. Note the pattern of agricultural parcels interspersed with dense woodland — remnants of the original forest that once blanketed the region.* --- ## 2. First Peoples — The Miami This land is **Myaamia country**. The Miami (Myaamia) people are an Algonquian-speaking nation whose historic homeland centered on what is now Indiana, western Ohio, and parts of Illinois and Wisconsin. The area around Huntington County — and specifically the Forks of the Wabash — was a core area of Miami life. ### A Thriving Civilization The Miami practiced a sophisticated mixed economy. Women cultivated corn, beans, and squash (the "Three Sisters") in gardens along the fertile bottomlands of the Wabash and Little River. Men hunted deer, bear, turkey, and small game in the surrounding forests. The fur trade — especially beaver — became economically central after European contact. The rivers were highways. The Wabash connected to the Maumee River via the portage at Fort Wayne (*Kekionga*), creating a water route linking the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River system. This made the entire Wabash corridor — and particularly the Forks — strategically vital for trade, diplomacy, and travel. ### Chiefs and Leadership **Chief Jean Baptiste de Richardville (Peshewa)**, of mixed French-Miami heritage, was one of the wealthiest and most politically astute leaders in Indiana during the early 19th century. His influence extended throughout the Wabash and Maumee valleys, and he maintained a significant presence near the Forks of the Wabash. The **Richardville House** near Fort Wayne is today a National Historic Landmark. ### Treaties and Dispossession The land that would become Huntington County was ceded through a cascading series of treaties: - **Treaty of Greenville (1795):** Following the Battle of Fallen Timbers, this treaty established boundary lines but left most of Indiana in indigenous hands. - **Treaty of Fort Wayne (1809):** Governor William Henry Harrison's controversial treaty ceded roughly 3 million acres, fueling Tecumseh's resistance movement. - **Treaty of St. Mary's (1818):** Negotiated by Indiana's first governor, Jonathan Jennings, along with Lewis Cass and Benjamin Parke, this landmark treaty resulted in the Miami ceding territories south of the Wabash covering a large portion of central Indiana — the "New Purchase." However, it also established the **Big Miami Reserve**, encompassing about 760,000 acres between the Eel and Salamonie Rivers — the largest Indian reservation ever to exist within the state of Indiana. - **Treaty of Mississinewas (1826):** The Miami agreed to cede most of their remaining reservation lands. - **Treaty of 1834 and Treaty of 1838:** Further cessions of Miami lands in the Huntington area. - **Treaty of 1840:** Required Miami removal from Indiana. In **October 1846**, approximately half of the remaining Miami in Indiana were forcibly removed to Kansas Territory. But the story did not end there. ### Kil-so-quah — The Sun Woman of Roanoke **Kiilhsoohkwa** (meaning "Sun Woman"), born in May 1810 under an oak tree at the Forks of the Wabash, was the granddaughter of the great war chief **Little Turtle** (*Mihšihkinaahkwa*). In her own words: *"My name is Kil-so-quah. In American language I am Mrs. Anthony Revarre. I was born near Markle, in Huntington county, in May, 1810."* As a child she moved with her family from the Miami village at the Forks to the junction of Rock Creek and the Wabash River near Markle. In 1832, she married Shaw-pe-nom-quah (Anthony Revarre), of half-Miami, half-French descent, and the couple settled in **Roanoke** — the very land this report concerns. When most of the Miami were removed in 1846, Kil-so-quah's family was exempted — an 1850 act of Congress specifically protected her son and other Miami people from removal. She remained in Roanoke for the rest of her long life, a living bridge between the Miami world and the American settlement that had transformed it. For many years she cared for a flag reportedly presented to her other grandfather, Shimaakanehsia, at the **Treaty of Greenville in 1795** — a rare artifact significant in both American and Miami history. On **July 4, 1910**, the citizens of Roanoke held a massive celebration for her 100th birthday. An estimated 10,000 visitors filled the streets. She died on **September 4, 1915**, at her home in Roanoke — the oldest resident of the state of Indiana. Her passing was mourned as the loss of "the last of the royal Miamis." Today, the **Kil-so-quah Recreation Area** and **Little Turtle Recreation Area** at J. Edward Roush Lake honor her and her grandfather's memory. --- ## 3. Settlement & Homesteading ### Opening the Land Huntington County was established in 1832 and officially organized on **May 5, 1834**, from lands gained through the treaties with the Miami. The county seat of Huntington was planted at the strategically important Forks of the Wabash. The first non-Native American settlers were a group of 29 farm families from Connecticut — "Yankee" settlers descended from the English Puritans — who arrived in the early 1830s. ### The Wabash and Erie Canal The **Wabash and Erie Canal**, the longest canal ever built in North America at 468 miles, was the engine of early settlement in this region. The canal passed through Jackson Township in the 1840s, and Roanoke's founding is inseparable from it. Roanoke sat one day's pull from Fort Wayne — the perfect distance for a layover. Barges needed a pull-off for the night, and a town grew up to serve them. As the Roanoke Public Library's history notes, the town was established around **1848-1850** in direct conjunction with the canal, becoming "one of the best trading and shipping points on the canal" with warehouses, mills, stables, and hotels. The first surveyed road in the area (1838) connected Huntington to Fort Wayne, passing through what would become Roanoke. A **post office was established on June 4, 1846** — even before the town was formally platted. **Jarred Darrow** was one of the earliest settlers, arriving in 1837. Between 1840 and 1847, the population swelled with families belonging to the United Brethren Church, the Methodist Church, and the Lutheran Church. ### GLO Land Patents The property at 9340 North 300 East falls within approximately **Township 28 North, Range 10 East** of the Second Principal Meridian (Section 4 or 5). Most original land patents in Huntington County were issued from the **1830s through the 1850s**, sold through the **Fort Wayne Land Office** at $1.25 per acre under the Land Act of 1820. The majority were **cash entry** (direct purchase) patents. The original survey plat for this township would have been created by a deputy surveyor contracted by the Surveyor General's office, documenting section lines, natural features, timber, soil quality, and waterways. These records — along with the names of the specific original patentees — are available through the [BLM GLO Records](https://glorecords.blm.gov/). ### Incorporation In 1873, **John H. Barr** circulated a petition to the county commissioners for the incorporation of Roanoke. An election held **January 8, 1874** resulted in overwhelming support: 75 votes in favor, only 9 opposed. The town was named after Roanoke, Virginia.  *1956 USGS Topographic Map (Huntington Quadrangle, 1:24,000 scale). This mid-century map shows the road network, waterways, and dispersed settlement pattern that still characterizes the area around the property.* --- ## 4. Agricultural & Economic Development ### The Farming Economy Huntington County is classic **Corn Belt** country. From the earliest settlement, the rich glacial soils supported intensive agriculture. The pattern evolved over nearly two centuries: - **1830s-1860s:** Subsistence and small-scale commercial farming. Corn, wheat, oats, and hay. Hogs, cattle, and horses. Labor was manual and horse-powered. The great work of this era was clearing the forest and draining the wetlands — converting the "Great Marsh" and thousands of acres of waterlogged land into productive fields through networks of ditches and, later, subsurface clay drainage tiles. - **1860s-1900s:** Expansion of commercial agriculture. The railroad replaced the canal as the primary transportation link. Improved livestock breeds. Early mechanization with horse-drawn reapers and threshers. - **1900s-1940s:** The tractor replaced the horse. Rural electrification arrived in the 1930s-1940s through the Rural Electrification Administration. Soybeans were introduced as a crop in the 1920s-1940s and would eventually rival corn in acreage. - **1940s-present:** The "Green Revolution" transformed yields through hybrid corn varieties, synthetic fertilizers, and mechanization. Farm consolidation accelerated — smaller operations were absorbed by larger ones. Today, corn and soybeans dominate the landscape, with precision agriculture, GPS-guided equipment, and genetically modified crops defining modern practice. ### Beyond Agriculture The canal-era commerce gave way to railroad commerce. The **Wabash Railroad** was a major line through Huntington County, following the river corridor. Main Street in Roanoke became a commercial hub, with business owners like **Augustus Wasmuth** and **E.E. Richards** fostering growth through banking and commerce. The town earned a 1920s slogan: *"Merchandise in Roanoke Always Gives Satisfaction."* The **Coil Factory**, built in 1900, became a major employer during World War II, averaging 200 workers and peaking at over 400. That building now houses the Roanoke Public Library and various businesses — a common story of adaptive reuse in small-town America. The **Indiana Gas Boom** (1886-1910s), fueled by the discovery of natural gas in the Trenton limestone formation, brought rapid industrialization to parts of east-central Indiana, though its most dramatic effects were felt in counties to the south. The boom was short-lived, collapsing by the 1910s due to wasteful extraction.  *1972 USGS Topographic Map (Huntington Quadrangle, 1:24,000 scale). Comparing this map to the 1956 edition reveals the slow, steady evolution of the rural road network and land use patterns.* --- ## 5. Modern Development ### Floods and the Army Corps of Engineers The Wabash River and Little River have always been flood-prone. The **Great Flood of 1913** — one of the worst natural disasters in Indiana history — devastated Huntington County and communities throughout the Wabash watershed. That catastrophe prompted decades of flood-control planning. The result was **J. Edward Roush Lake** (originally Huntington Lake), a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control reservoir on the Little River completed in **1969**. Named after Congressman J. Edward Roush of Huntington, the dam and reservoir dramatically reduced downstream flooding while creating recreational opportunities. The Kil-so-quah and Little Turtle Recreation Areas at the lake honor the Miami heritage of the land. ### Suburban Expansion Roanoke sits approximately 10-12 miles southwest of downtown **Fort Wayne**, Indiana's second-largest city (population ~270,000; metro area ~430,000). Since the 1990s, Fort Wayne's suburban growth has increasingly reached toward Roanoke and the surrounding area, particularly through southwest Allen County. This has positioned Roanoke as a growing **bedroom community** — residents enjoy the small-town atmosphere while commuting 15-25 minutes to Fort Wayne for work. The area around the property at 9340 North 300 East embodies the tension that defines many such edge communities: agricultural preservation versus development pressure. Post-World War II, Roanoke experienced what many small American towns did: a decline in Main Street retail as shopping habits shifted. By the late 20th century, many storefronts sat empty. But the **1990s brought revitalization**, with downtown restoration efforts that returned vitality to the commercial core. ### Population Roanoke has grown modestly but steadily: | Year | Population | |------|-----------| | 2000 | ~1,560 | | 2010 | ~1,700 | | 2020 | 1,762 | | 2025 (est.) | 1,796 | The town is currently growing at approximately 0.56% annually — modest but consistent, fueled by its appeal as a family-friendly community within commuting distance of Fort Wayne. ### Notable Connections **Dan Quayle**, the 44th Vice President of the United States (1989-1993), grew up in Huntington, the county seat. The **Dan Quayle Vice Presidential Museum** in downtown Huntington documents the history of the vice presidency. **Huntington University**, a private liberal arts institution affiliated with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and founded in 1897, is another anchor of the county's identity. --- ## 6. The Area Today ### Character and Community Roanoke in the 2020s is a town of approximately 1,800 people that radiates what locals call "hometown friendliness." The demographics are predominantly white (92.8%), with a median household income of $72,880 and a median age of 39.6 years — relatively young and financially stable for a small Indiana town. The community offers a **25-acre central park** with baseball diamonds, tennis courts, a picnic pavilion, and playground. The town maintains its own police department, volunteer fire department, utilities, and public elementary school. ### Landmarks - **Joseph Decuis** — An acclaimed farm-to-table restaurant in downtown Roanoke that operates in conjunction with a working farm. Joseph Decuis has gained regional and national recognition, putting Roanoke on the map as a dining destination and lending the town an identity that blends rural authenticity with culinary sophistication. - **Roanoke Area Heritage Center** — Opened July 4, 1994, in the old bank building; now located at 102 W. First Street. Preserves the town's history. - **Main Street** — The revitalized commercial core retains its historic small-town character with local businesses and period buildings. - **WOWO and WRNP Transmitter Towers** — Along U.S. Highway 24. For years, television station WPTA was licensed to Roanoke (though its facilities were in Fort Wayne). ### The Property Today The satellite and aerial imagery tell the story of 9340 North 300 East clearly: this is rural northeast Indiana. The landscape is a patchwork of: - **Agricultural fields** — primarily corn and soybeans, stretching flat to the horizon - **Scattered rural homes** on generous lots, set back from the road - **Dense woodland corridors** — remnants of the original forest, concentrated along waterways and in areas less suited to cultivation - **Farm ponds** dotting the landscape - **Grid-pattern roads** — the North/East numbering system that organizes rural Indiana - **Drainage ditches** lining the roads, part of the vast tile-drainage network that makes the land farmable It is quiet, open country. Wide horizons. The hum of insects in summer, the creak of bare branches in winter. Fort Wayne is a 20-minute drive to the northeast; Huntington about the same to the west. Access to Interstate 69 is available via state highways. The property exists at the intersection of deep agricultural tradition and the slow encroachment of exurban development — a landscape being gently reshaped by its proximity to a growing city, even as it retains the essential character of the farmland it has been for nearly two centuries.  *1953 USGS Topographic Map (Muncie Quadrangle, 1:250,000 scale). A broader regional view showing Huntington County's position in the northeast Indiana landscape.* --- ## 7. Sources & Further Reading ### Satellite & Aerial Imagery - **Current satellite:** [ESRI World Imagery](https://services.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/World_Imagery/MapServer) — `images/satellite_current.jpg` - **NAIP aerial photography:** [USGS NAIP Plus](https://imagery.nationalmap.gov/arcgis/rest/services/USGSNAIPPlus/ImageServer) — `images/naip_aerial.jpg` - **Historical topo maps:** [USGS TopoView](https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview/) — browse decades of topographic maps for this area ### Historical Topo Maps (Available for Download) | Map | Year | Scale | Link | |-----|------|-------|------| | Huntington Quadrangle | 1956 | 1:24,000 | [GeoPDF](https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Maps/HistoricalTopo/PDF/IN/24000/IN_Huntington_159797_1956_24000_geo.pdf) / [GeoTIFF](https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Maps/HistoricalTopo/GeoTIFF/IN/IN_Huntington_159797_1956_24000_geo.tif) | | Huntington Quadrangle | 1972 | 1:24,000 | [GeoPDF](https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Maps/HistoricalTopo/PDF/IN/24000/IN_Huntington_159798_1972_24000_geo.pdf) / [GeoTIFF](https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Maps/HistoricalTopo/GeoTIFF/IN/IN_Huntington_159798_1972_24000_geo.tif) | | Wabash Quadrangle | 1986 | 1:100,000 | [GeoPDF](https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Maps/HistoricalTopo/PDF/IN/100000/IN_Wabash_156188_1986_100000_geo.pdf) / [GeoTIFF](https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Maps/HistoricalTopo/GeoTIFF/IN/IN_Wabash_156188_1986_100000_geo.tif) | | Muncie Quadrangle | 1953 | 1:250,000 | [GeoPDF](https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Maps/HistoricalTopo/PDF/IN/250000/IN_Muncie_160084_1953_250000_geo.pdf) / [GeoTIFF](https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Maps/HistoricalTopo/GeoTIFF/IN/IN_Muncie_160084_1953_250000_geo.tif) | ### Land Records - **BLM GLO Records:** [glorecords.blm.gov](https://glorecords.blm.gov/) — Search T28N R10E, 2nd Principal Meridian, Huntington County, Indiana for original land patents - **Huntington County GIS:** [huntington.in.us](https://www.huntington.in.us/county/department/index.php?structureid=25) — Parcel data, property boundaries, zoning - **USDA Web Soil Survey:** [websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov](https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/) — Detailed soil maps for the specific parcel ### Historical Research - [Historic Roanoke — Roanoke Public Library](https://roanoke.lib.in.us/history/historic-roanoke/) - [Discover Roanoke — Our Story](https://discoverroanoke.org/our-story/) - [Kil-so-quah — Roanoke Public Library](https://roanoke.lib.in.us/history/kilsoquah/) - [Kiilhsoohkwa (Kilsoquah) — Indiana Historical Bureau Marker](https://www.in.gov/history/state-historical-markers/find-a-marker/kiilhsoohkwa-kilsoquah/) - [Kil-so-quah — Huntington County Honors](https://www.huntingtoncountyhonors.org/Honorees/kil-so-quah) - [History of Huntington County — HCUED](https://www.hcued.com/living-here/history-of-huntington-county) - [Huntington County — Indiana State Library](https://www.in.gov/library/collections-and-services/indiana/county-history-holdings-guide/huntington-county/) - [Miami Indians Resources — Indiana State Library](https://www.in.gov/library/collections-and-services/indiana/subject-guides-to-indiana-collection-materials/miami-indians-resources/) - [History and Culture — Miami Nation of Indians of Indiana](https://www.miamiindians.org/history-and-culture) ### Treaty Sources - [Treaty with the Miami, 1818](https://treaties.okstate.edu/treaties/treaty-with-the-miami-1818-0171) - [Treaty with the Miami, 1826](https://treaties.okstate.edu/treaties/treaty-with-the-miami-1826-0278) - [Treaty with the Miami, 1834](https://treaties.okstate.edu/treaties/treaty-with-the-miami-1834-0425) - [Treaty with the Miami, 1838](https://treaties.okstate.edu/treaties/treaty-with-the-miami-1838-0519) - [Treaty of St. Mary's (1818) — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_St._Mary%27s_(1818)) - [Treaty of 1838 — Aacimotaatiiyankwi](https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2021/04/02/treaty-of-1838/) ### Geology & Geography - [Little River Valley — LRWP](https://www.lrwp.org/littlerivervalley) - [Water Resources and Use in Huntington County (PDF)](https://www.indianachamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Huntington.pdf) - [Indiana Geological and Water Survey](https://igws.iu.edu/Surficial/Landscapes) - [USGS Little River Gauge near Huntington](https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/inventory/?site_no=03324000) ### Census & Demographics - [Roanoke Demographics](https://www.indiana-demographics.com/roanoke-demographics) - [Indiana Township Census Counts, 1890-2020](https://www.stats.indiana.edu/population/PopTotals/historic_counts_twps.asp) ### Archives for Deeper Research - **Huntington County Historical Society** — Local history archives - **Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center** (Fort Wayne) — One of the largest genealogy collections in the US, with extensive Huntington and Allen County records - **Indiana State Library** (Indianapolis) — Historical atlases, maps, publications - **Huntington City-Township Public Library** — Local history collection - **National Archives (NARA)** — Original patent case files from the Fort Wayne Land Office - **Myaamia Center** at Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) — Miami cultural and historical research --- ## Deliverables | File | Description | |------|-------------| | `report.md` | This report | | `home.geojson` | Original property location data | | `images/satellite_current.jpg` | ESRI World Imagery satellite photo (1200x1200) | | `images/naip_aerial.jpg` | USGS NAIP aerial photography (1200x1200) | | `images/topo_huntington_1956_preview.jpg` | 1956 Huntington Quadrangle topo map preview | | `images/topo_huntington_1972_preview.jpg` | 1972 Huntington Quadrangle topo map preview | | `images/topo_muncie_1953_preview.jpg` | 1953 Muncie Quadrangle topo map preview | --- *Report compiled March 9, 2026. Research drew on publicly available geographic data, satellite imagery, USGS historical topographic maps, BLM GLO land records, web-accessible historical archives, and census data. Property-specific chain-of-title research (county deed records) and original GLO patent lookup are recommended as next steps for deeper investigation.*