Hartford City, Indiana, began in the late 1830s as a few log cabins clustered near a creek. The community became the county seat of Blackford County. Located in the north east-central portion of the state, the small farming community experienced a 15-year "boom" beginning in the late 1880s caused by the discovery of natural gas. The Indiana Gas Boom caused the community to transition from an agricultural economy to one that also included manufacturing. During the 1890s, Hartford City was the home of the nation's largest window glass company (Hartford City Glass Company) and the nation's largest producer of lantern globes (Sneath Glass Company).

The phenomenal growth ended after the boom, but the city was able to retain much of its workforce, as some of the glass factories and paper mills continued operations within the city. Jobs relating to the new automobile industry also became available in nearby cities. In the first half of the 20th century, Hartford City was able to attract several new manufacturers that became cornerstones for employment within the town, including Overhead Door and 3M. The town's population declined in the 1970s and 1980s as the fortunes of the auto industry declined. Cutbacks at the Overhead Door plant, and later its closing, also contributed to the population decline.

As a reminder of the Gas Boom, the National Park Service of the United States Department of the Interior added the Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places on June 21, 2006—meaning the buildings and objects that contribute to the continuity of the district are worthy of preservation because of their historical and architectural significance.National Register of Historic Places List of Actions Taken on Properties 6/19/06 through 6/23/06 web page. Individual buildings in Hartford City also recognized by the National Register of Historic Places include the Blackford County Courthouse and the First Presbyterian Church.

Pre-Settlement

In the early 19th century, much of what would become the state of Indiana was still frequented by native Indian tribes.“Biographical and historical record of Jay and Blackford Counties…”, page 715. At least three tribes are almost certain to have visited the future Hartford City area during the 40 years before the town was settled, although there were no known permanent settlements in the immediate area. The three tribes are the Miami, Delaware, and Potawatomi. A fourth tribe, the Kickapoo, may have lived in the area before the 19th Century, and Hartford City has a Kickapoo Street named in that tribe's honor."Biographical and historical record of Jay and Blackford Counties…", page 711."Blackford County History", by Cecil E. Beeson, Sr. This is a 3-page document available only from the Blackford County Historical Society.

In the early 19th century, a settlement of the Munsee clan of the Delaware Indians was located about 19 miles south of the future Hartford City along the White River. Eventually, the future county to the south of Blackford County, Delaware County, was named after the Delaware Indians that lived there, and the city of Muncie derived its name from the Munsee clan."Delaware County INGEN Web Project".The Delaware in this area were led by Chief Buckongahelas until his death in 1805. See Key To The City’s “Muncie, Indiana” profile

The Miami tribe was the most powerful group of Indians in the region around the future Hartford City. Little Turtle (see picture) was the last great Miami warrior, dying in 1812.Indigenous Peoples’ Literature web site. Francois Godfroy (he was half French) was one of the leaders of the area Miami Indians in the east central Indiana region after Indiana became a state, and he maintained a residence in what became northern Blackford County.For more on this Miami tribe and Chief Godfroy see Hoxie’s "Encyclopedia of North American Indians", page 714-715. The Miami and Delaware Indians are credited as being the first settlers of the Blackford County area, living about 9 miles (12 current highway miles) from the future Hartford City on the Godfroy Reserve after an 1818 treaty. The site is located in Blackford County's Harrison Township.Indiana Historical Bureau’s web page for the Godfroy Reserve marker. Although the Godfroy Reserve was allotted to Miami Indian Chief Francois (a.k.a. Francis) Godfroy, Delaware Indians were also allowed to stay at the Reserve.

Members of the Potawatomi tribe may have occasionally strayed into the (future Hartford City) area during the early 19th century, but they were supposed to stay north of the Wabash River, which is about 30 miles north of present-day Hartford City. Around 1830, members of the Potawatomi tribe began visiting the area south of the Wabash River a bit too often, and were eventually fought by Miami warriors in what is now Upland, Indiana – which is about 8 miles from Hartford City. This fight, with knives and clubs as the main weapons, had no fatalities, and the result was the Potawatomi tribesmen returning to their lands north of the Wabash River."Biographical and historical record of Jay and Blackford Counties…", page 714.

First settlements The Indiana Territory was created in 1800, and a portion of that territory was used to grant Indiana statehood in 1816.See Indiana Historical Bureau’s "Indiana Statehood - Timeline" web page. In 1831, Benjamin Reasoner was the first known non-native to visit what would become Blackford County. He returned to the area in 1832 with his wife Mary and five of their children (plus son Peter's family), settling in what would become Blackford County's Licking Township."Biographical and historical record of Jay and Blackford Counties…", page 717. Peter Reasoner's third child, a daughter also named Mary, was the first non-native born in the county. Settlers began arriving in the future Blackford County shortly after the Reasoners during the 1830s. Other early settlers in the future Licking Township included Andrew Boggs, John Grimes, George and Joseph Atkinson, Jacob Slater, and Robert Stewart. John Grimes built the county's first water-powered grist mill on Big Lick Creek."Biographical and historical record of Jay and Blackford Counties…", page 718. Jay County was created in 1835, and a portion of that county was later split away to form Blackford County.“Welcome to Jay County” web site. Although Blackford County was created by the State Legislature in 1837, the county was not organized until 1839. The county is named after Judge Isaac Newton Blackford, a state Supreme Court judge from 1817 until 1855.See biography on Blackford County Historical Society web site. Blackford County now consists of four townships, and Hartford City is located in Licking Township. As the county became organized and more settlers began arriving, the Godfroy Reservation tribe became more annoyed with the "white man", and moved west around 1839.

Hartford Originally, Hartford City was named Hartford. The site for the Blackford County seat was designated as Hartford in 1837, before the community had an official name and before the county was organized. The citizens of nearby Montpelier objected to this designation, but efforts to change the county seat were unsuccessful. Although the Montpelier community had existed longer, Licking Township (which contained the future Hartford City) had a slightly higher population. Some land donated to the county for the purpose of public buildings may have also influenced the decision. The county finally became organized in 1839, and the village became officially named Hartford. The community was located in the southwest part of the present day Hartford City, close to Lick Creek. The settlers found deer and wolves, but no Indians in the immediate vicinity of the community – although Indians had been living in the northeastern part of the county on the Godfroy Reserve, and were still living in adjacent Grant County.

Folklore later taught in local elementary schools suggested that Hartford was originally a place to ford (or cross) Lick Creek. It was known as "Hart’s ford" or "Hart ford", where the "Hart" came either from a farmer named Jacob Hart or the old English word for stag – "hart". This evolved to Hartford. There was already another Hartford in Indiana, so eventually Blackford County's Hartford was changed to Hartford City to avoid confusion. By 1842, the community of Hartford consisted of seven families in log cabins. The family surnames were Branson, Brough, Graham, Marley, Payton, Shelton, and Turner. The Paytons and Graham were merchants. John Marley was the town's first blacksmith."Biographical and historical record of Jay and Blackford Counties…", pages 744-745. Hartford grew to a population of 250 by 1850, and was said to have about 40 houses. The town had a post office, and a national Post Office directory for 1855 lists the town as Hartford City. Hartford City became incorporated as a town in 1857.3M’s "Hartford City Life" web page.

Government

The village of Hartford was originally an unincorporated community governed by the county. Blackford County became organized in June 1839, when Indiana Governor David Wallace appointed Nicolas Friend acting sheriff. Mr. Friend was instructed to hold an election for county officers. The election was held at the log cabin home of one of the settlers in the village that would become Hartford. County officers elected were: Jacob Brugh, clerk-auditor-recorder; Jacob Emshwiller, treasurer; Frederick Bell, sheriff; and three county commissioners – Josephus Streeter, Jacob Schroyer, and Eli Rigdon. Among the board of county commissioners’ early projects were two items of particular interest for the future. First, the commissioners worked on a petition for a road that would run along the nearby Lick Creek toward the city of Portland in adjacent Jay County. Second, it was ordered that the Blackford County seat be called Hartford. (Later, "City" was added to the Hartford name because it was discovered that there was already another Hartford in Indiana.)"Biographical and historical record of Jay and Blackford Counties…", pages 724-725.

In 1857, work began on incorporating the community of Hartford as a town. Based on a May 1857 census, the community had 51 families totaling to 311 residents. On September 28, 1857, eligible voters approved a petition to incorporate as a town by a vote of 35 in favor and 18 against. As a result, the county commissioners declared the town incorporated on December 7, 1857.Some sources, including "Biographical and historical record of Jay and Blackford Counties…" on page 746, incorrectly use the year 1867 as the date of incorporation for Hartford City. The Blackford County Historical Society’s "Blackford County History" pamphlet says the year is 1857, and the city celebrated its centennial anniversary in 1957 (not 1967). Records from the Blackford County commissioner’s book 2, on page 401, show 1857 is the correct year. As a town, Hartford City was governed by a clerk-treasurer and town council, which were elected officials. The president of the town council was considered the town's executive."Indiana Elected Municipal Officials Handbook", 2008 edition, chapter 1, page 3.