Decatur

History

The first non-Native American settlers arrived in what is now Decatur in 1835. They arrived as a result of the end of the Black Hawk War as well as the completion of the Erie Canal. They consisted entirely of settlers from New England. These were "Yankee" settlers, that is to say they were descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the colonial era. They were primarily members of the Congregational Church though due to the Second Great Awakening many of them had converted to Methodism and some had become Baptists before coming to what is now Decatur. The Congregational Church subsequently has gone through many divisions and some factions are now known as the Church of Christ and Church of God. When the New England settlers arrived in what is now Decatur there was nothing but a dense virgin forest and wild prairie. Decatur was founded by Samuel Rugg in 1836. It was named for Stephen Decatur Jr., one of the captains of the original six frigates of the US navy. A post office was established in Decatur in 1837. Decatur was incorporated in 1853. After the Civil War, Decatur was known as a sundown town, where African Americans were discriminated against and eventually run out of the town completely in 1902. A month before the last Black person was reportedly forced out of Decatur, the Indianapolis Freeman reported that 50 men began driving the Black people out because they "were determined that colored people should not live in the town." Eventually African Americans began slowly settling in town; however, due to the sundown policies that persisted throughout much of the 1900s, the current demographics still indicate a low percentage of Black residents.

Geography

According to the 2010 United States census, Decatur has a total area of , of which (or 99.9%) is land and (or 0.1%) is water.

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,384
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  2,259
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1,626
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,607
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,597
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,533
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1,494
• White-breasted Nuthatch

  Sitta carolinensis Latham, 1790 · Aves
  1,380

Largest nearby schools

• Bellmont Elementary
  Elementary · Decatur · 656 students · 14:1 ratio
• Adams Central Elementary School
  Elementary · Monroe · 647 students · 14.7:1 ratio
• Bellmont Senior High School
  High · Decatur · 641 students · 13.6:1 ratio
• Adams Central High School
  High · Monroe · 374 students · 12.9:1 ratio
• Adams Central Middle School
  Middle · Monroe · 319 students · 15.2:1 ratio
• Bellmont Middle School
  Middle · Decatur · 313 students · 13:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.9 — 2024-12-29
  1 km SSE of Hicksville, Ohio
• M 2.9 — 2023-12-09
  5 km W of Jackson Center, Ohio
• M 2.6 — 2015-06-12
  6 km NW of Convoy, Ohio
• M 3 — 2012-01-26
  5 km NE of Topeka, Indiana
• M 3.8 — 2010-12-30
  6 km SE of Greentown, Indiana
• M 2.8 — 2008-09-30
  5 km SW of Kettlersville, Ohio