Randolph County History: 1818-2018

Randolph County History: 1818-2018. County's Establishment, Geography, Topography. The Indiana General Assembly authorized the formation of Randolph County from Wayne County in January 1818 to take effect in August 1818. Early historians contend that the county's name came from settlers who relocated from Randolph County, North Carolina, and that Randolph County was named for Peyton Randolph, the first president of the Continental Congress under the articles of Confederation. Established just two years after the state's founding, Randolph County was the 22nd of 92 counties ultimately formed in Indiana. From 1820 to 1824 its northern boundary stretched to the Indiana-Michigan state boundary. At well above 1,000 feet above sea level, it is one of the highest points in Indiana. It is bounded by Wayne County to the south, Henry County to the southwest, Delaware County to the west, Jay County to the north, and Darke County, Ohio, to the east. It is one of the few counties that has two main rivers within its borders, the White and Mississinewa Rivers. The west branch of the White River begins south of Winchester in Washington Township while the origin of the Mississinewa River begins in northwest Darke County, Ohio, just east of Randolph County. Geographical points of interest include the McVey Memorial Forest north of Farmland, which is 250 acres of upland forest, river bottom, prairie and wetlands, now maintained by the red tail conservancy, and the Randolph County Wildlife Preserve, near the McVey Memorial Forest. The county's unique topography includes the "Cabin Creek Bog" (located six miles north of Modoc near State Road 1) and the "Upland Peat Bog," containing more than 200 different species of plants.