Muncie

History

The area was first settled in the 1790s by the Lenape (Delaware) people, who were forced west from their tribal lands in the Mid-Atlantic region (all of New Jersey, southeastern New York, eastern Pennsylvania, and northern Delaware) to new lands in present-day Ohio and eastern Indiana. The Lenape founded several towns along the White River, including Munsee Town, near the site of present-day Muncie. The term Munsee denotes a subgroup of the Lenape people. In 1818, the area's native tribes ceded their lands to the federal government under the terms of the Treaty of St. Mary's and agreed to move farther west by 1821. New settlers began to arrive in what became Delaware County, Indiana, , shortly before the area's public lands were formally opened for purchase. The small trading village of Munsee Town, renamed Muncietown, was selected as the Delaware County seat and platted in 1827. On January 13, 1845, Indiana's governor signed legislation passed by the Indiana General Assembly to shorten the town's name to Muncie. Soon, a network of roads connected Muncie to nearby towns, adjacent counties, and to other parts of Indiana. The Indianapolis and Bellefontaine Railroad, the first to arrive in Muncie in 1852, provided the town and the surrounding area with access to larger markets for its agricultural production, as well as a faster means of transporting people and goods into and out of the area. Muncie incorporated as a town on December 6, 1854, and became an incorporated city in 1865. John Brady was elected as the city's first mayor. Muncie's early utility companies also date to the mid-1860s, including the city's waterworks, which was established in 1865. After the American Civil War, two factors helped Muncie attract new commercial and industrial development: the…

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Muncie has a total area of , of which ,or 99.3%, is land and ,or 0.7%, is water. Muncie has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfa), experiencing four distinct seasons.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,089
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  3,520
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,377
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,233
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,021
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  2,894
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,744
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,702

Most recent

• M 2.6 — 2015-06-12
  6 km NW of Convoy, Ohio
• M 3.8 — 2010-12-30
  6 km SE of Greentown, Indiana
• M 2.8 — 2008-09-30
  5 km SW of Kettlersville, Ohio
• M 3.8 — 2004-09-12
  4 km NW of Manilla, Indiana
• M 2.5 — 2004-01-30
  2 km S of Rockford, Ohio