City of Delphi History

Delphi, Indiana, was first settled in 1824 by the Henry Robinson family. It was platted in 1828 by General Samuel Milroy on land donated by William Wilson. It became the seat of government for Carroll County which was established the same year. Located in the valley framed by the Wabash River and Deer Creek, the first settlers came by foot, horseback, boat, and wagon, building homes and mills along these waterways.

Transportation has been a central theme in Delphi's history. Indiana's first "state highway" was laid out in 1826 along the Wabash River from the National Road at Terre Haute to Fort Wayne, and it guided settlers to this area. Delphi was formally established as a town in 1835 and incorporated as a city in 1866. The Wabash and Erie Canal was completed from Fort Wayne to Delphi in 1840. The canal connected Delphi with Toledo by 1843, opening the area to commerce with the east. By 1853 the canal was completed to Evansville, connecting with ports along the Ohio all the way to New Orleans. Fast on the heels of canal expansion came the development or rail transportion providing stiff competition and year-round operation, making the canal obsolete by the mid 1870s.