Howard County Community Net

Through the terms of a treaty signed in 1818, the U.S Government established the Big Miami Reserve, a stretch of land covering nearly half of the state of Indiana. This tract of land, which included what is now Howard County, was then given to the Miami Indians who were living in the area. Through the years following this treaty, the Miami Indians sold most of this reserve to the state and began moving west to the Kansas Territory. During this time, a Miami Chief named Jean Baptiste de Richardville was awarded seven sections of land in Indiana. After his death in 1841, his son-in-law, Francis Lafountain, took over as chief and sold some of the land along the Wildcat Creek to Allen Hamilton. Hamilton then sold the land to David Foster for a sum of $4,000. This land later became the city of Kokomo.

David Foster was an Indian trader who made his way to Indiana in search of the perfect spot to build a trading post. After purchasing land near the Wildcat Creek, he constructed a log cabin to serve as both a trading post as well as a family home. Later this cabin would become the first church and school in the community. Foster named his land Ko-Ko-Mo, after a Miami Indian named Ma-Ko-Ko-Mo. Several years later, Foster donated forty acres of his land to create a county seat, and built a log courthouse for use in the community. This log building measured 24'x24' and faced what is now Sycamore Street. The total cost for the building was approximately $300.

Howard County was named in 1846 after Tilghman A. Howard, a prominent politician in Indiana who ironically never set foot in this county. Originally, the county was named Richardville, after Jean Baptiste Richardville. Richardville was supposedly too hard to pronounce for citizens, however, who frequently called it Roo-sha-ville. The decision to change the county's name was swift, occurring during a State Legislature meeting in December of 1846. The bill to change the name was drafted, approved, and enacted before many residents of the county knew what was happening. There were no serious objections, and so Richardville County became Howard County.

Howard County's future changed dramatically with the discovery of a huge natural gas well by the Kokomo Natural Gas & Oil Co. in 1886. During the first year of the gas boom, close to 250 houses were built in Kokomo. The discovery of natural gas in the area also attracted several factories and businesses, which increased employment and commerce in Howard County.

Unfortunately, excessive use and waste of the gas took its toll. By the end of the 1890's, the gas was almost gone. Today only one company established during the gas boom, Kokomo Opalescent Glass Co., is still in business.

The boom years were not a complete waste, however. One prominent citizen who was attracted to Kokomo during the boom was Elwood Haynes, who later invented such things as the first successful "Horseless Carriage", Stellite alloy, and Stainless Steel. Haynes has put Howard County on the map and is the major reason Kokomo is called the "City of Firsts." Elwood Haynes' home has been converted into a museum to commemorate his accomplishments, located at 1915 South Webster Street in Kokomo.

This has been but a brief account of the history of Howard County. For more detailed information about what you have read here, HCCN recommends you contact the Howard County Historical Society or the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library's Genealogy & Local History Services Department. Other good sources of historical information include the Greentown Historical Society and several other links to web sites at the bottom of this page.