Trenton, Indiana
Trenton is an unincorporated town in [Jackson Township, Blackford County, Indiana|Blackford County, Indiana|Jackson Township], Blackford County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. Nearly all of the community's businesses have been closed for many years. Although the Blackford County Historical Society lists this community as a ghost town, homes are still maintained in the area.
Trenton is located east of Hartford City on Indiana State Road 26. Platted in 1845, it is one of the older communities in Blackford County. The community had its own Post Office from 1856 until 1907. Because there was another Trenton in Randolph County during the 19th century, Blackford County's Trenton post office used the name Priam. Therefore, many older maps show the community as "Priam" instead of Trenton.
Trenton participated in the Indiana Gas Boom, and had two of Blackford County's many gas companies that existed during the 1890s. The Gas Boom gradually ended during the beginning of the 20th century, and many small communities never recovered. During the next few decades, the quality of automobiles and roads improved—indirectly contributing to the decline of many small communities as consumers drove to larger cities.
History
Trenton is located in Jackson Township in Blackford County. Jackson Township's population was only 154 in 1840, as there was no rail connection and the land suffered from poor drainage. Trenton was platted on January 20, 1845, by Robert H. Laning, Ezekiel Laning, Basel Anderson and William Cortright. Cortright was the landowner.When Blackford County's railroads were constructed in the late 1860s, Trenton was bypassed—as the nearest rail line was four miles south of the small town. During the 1880s, the community was boosted by the Indiana Gas Boom, and the community had two gas companies of its own. Eventually, the community had as many as 25 residences. In addition to its post office, the village also had a tannery, blacksmith shops, saw and tile mills and its own physicians. It also had two churches, two general stores and a drug store. The Trenton school was constructed in the 1870s, and its last version closed in 1964.
The Gas Boom gradually ended during the beginning of the 20th century, and many small communities never recovered. Improvements to the automobile and highways, which coincided with the end of the Gas Boom, may have also contributed to the decline of the county's smaller communities as consumers became willing to travel to larger cities.