| Town of Eaton, Indiana | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
| Eaton from the air, looking northeast. | |
| Location in the state of Indiana | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | Delaware |
| Township | Union |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.1 sq mi (2.9 km2) |
| • Land | 1.1 sq mi (2.9 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 886 ft (270 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,805 |
| • Density | 1,431.2/sq mi (552.6/km2) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EST (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 47338 |
| Area code(s) | 765 |
| FIPS code | 18-20080[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0433963[2] |
Eaton is a town in Union Township, Delaware County, Indiana, along the Mississinewa River. The population was 1,805 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Muncie, IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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The first discovery of natural gas in Indiana occurred in the town of Eaton in 1876. A company was drilling for coal and, when they had reaching a depth of six hundred feet, there was a great noise and bad-smelling fumes began to come from the hole. After a partial investigation, many concluded that they had breached the ceiling of Hell, and the hole was quickly filled in. In 1884, when natural gas was discovered in nearby Ohio, the townsfolk recalled the incident and returned to the location. There they opened the state of Indiana's first natural gas well. The gas was so abundant and strong that, when the well was lit, the flames could be seen from Muncie.[3] The discovery set off the Indiana Gas Boom, leading to two decades of rapid regional growth.
Eaton is located at (40.339675, -85.353746)[4].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2), all of it land.
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,603 people, 619 households, and 459 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,432.0 people per square mile (552.6/km²). There were 661 housing units at an average density of 590.5 per square mile (227.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.75% White, 0.25% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.12% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.81% of the population.
There were 619 households out of which 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.2% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the town the population was spread out with 30.6% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,563, and the median income for a family was $35,625. Males had a median income of $31,573 versus $20,645 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,833. About 9.5% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.9% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.
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