Montpelier, IN

Montpelier began as a Vermont transplant on high ground south of the Salamonie River. Settlers from Vermont arrived in 1836 and 1837, bringing the name of their state capital and a town plan that grew out of farm country. The discovery of natural gas in 1887 changed the scale of the place almost overnight. Factories, railroads, new buildings, and oil drilling followed, and Montpelier became one of Blackford County's busiest centers during the Indiana Gas Boom.

ATTRTwoScarsUp / CC0

The boom's afterimage is still visible in the older downtown buildings and in the stories residents tell about the town's sudden expansion. Montpelier also has a more theatrical chapter: John Dillinger and his gang robbed the Montpelier National Bank in 1933, an episode that remains part of local lore. These days the city's rhythm is more measured, with farm work, small businesses, civic services, and regional trips shaping ordinary life. The Salamonie River and surrounding flat farmland keep the town grounded in the landscape that was here before gas and oil pulled it into the headlines.