Miami County, Indiana - Chapter 2: Mathematical and Physical Description, 1896

IAMI county is the shape of a parallelogram with an extension east M of the south-east corner 4x6 miles. Its length is thirty miles and width sixteen miles on the south boundary and twelve on the north. It embraces an area of 384 square miles or 245,760 acres. The county is bounded on the north by Fulton and Wabash counties, east by Wabash and Grant, south by Howard and west by Cass and Fulton mounts It is located in the north part of Indiana and the distances of its nearest boundary lines from the state boundary lines are as follows: 76 miles to the north boundary of the state; 63 miles to the east; 289 miles to the Ohio river; 76 miles to the west bourdary.

The location and boundary of Miami county was established by act of the state legislature, approved February 2d., 1832. That act described the boundaries as follows: '-Beginning at the north-west corner of section 5, Township 29, of range 5, being the north-west corner of Wabash county; thence south with the western boundary line of said county twei:ty-four miles to the north-west corner of Grant county; thence south six miles; thence west to a point due south of range line dividing townships three and four, east of second principal meridian line; thence north from said range line to a point due west from the place of beginning; thence east to the place of beginning.' By a subsequent act of the legislature, approved January 30th, 1833. the territory now known as Jackson township was added to the county. By act of legislature, approved January 2nd., 1834, an addition of 60 square miles was added to the county by increasing the width two miles on the west.

The surface is mostly level and undulating, except along the rivers. The highest poiat of land in the county is at Bunker Hill, and that is the highe at point in a direct line from lake Michigan to the Ohio river. 'The county is drained by the Wabash, Eel and Mississinewa rivers and their tributaries, except a small territory in the north part, which is drained into lakes in Fulton county, Manitau and Mud. A considerable part of the county 1s very fertile aud productive.

The tenperature ranges from an average of 31° Fahrenheit in winter to an average of 76° insummer. The average rainfall is about 40 inches. The isothermal line that crosses this part of Indiana rucs to the north, going eastward, and touches the southern coast of Ireland and England, crosses northern France and going southward across central Germany and Austria. thence northward and touches the northern coast of Japan. These countries, although farther from the equator than Indiana, are affected by the ocean currents and the general contour of the country.

The animal life in this county was once very abundant. Many years ago, buffalo. deer, elks, bears and panthers were numerous. Small game such as minks, weasels, foxes, raccoons and opossums are yet found. Rabbits and some of the smaller wild animals are numerous. Wild fowls such as turkeys, pheasants and prairie chickens were, fifty years ago, very abundant and prolific, but they have all disappeared. The song birds are very abundant and are protected by law.

The vegetatiou is quite luxuriant. Oak, becch, hickory, maple and walnut are abundant. Ash, sycamore, poplar are common. About one-third of the forests remain.

The county is rich in some minerals, such as, natural gas, building stone, lime rock and road material. Some coal is found, but not in sufficient quantities to mine. :