Converse, Blackford County, Indiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Converse
Unincorporated community
Blackford County's location in Indiana
Converse, Blackford County, Indiana Location in Blackford County, Indiana
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Blackford
Township	Jackson
Platted	1867
Elevation	922 ft (281 m)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	47336
Area code(s)	765
FIPS code	18-14970
GNIS feature ID	432906

Converse is a small, unincorporated community in Jackson Township, Blackford County, in the state of Indiana. An unincorporated community means it's a place with a shared identity but no official local government. Even though not much of the original community is left, the U.S. Geological Survey still considers it a populated place.

Converse started as a "flag" stop along a railroad line. It was named after Joel N. Converse, a railroad executive. Like many other small places in Blackford County, this village became less active after the Indiana Gas Boom ended in the early 1900s.

A Look Back: Converse's History

In 1837, a farmer named Edward Crumley moved to the southeast part of Blackford County. He started a farm there with his family. This area later became known as Jackson Township.

Crumley's farm was located at a crossroads. Because of this, the area became known as Crumley's Crossing. This crossroads grew into a small community. It had a few cabins, a blacksmith shop, and a sawmill.

The Railroad Arrives

The Union and Logansport Railroad Company reached Blackford County in 1867. This was a big deal for Crumley's Crossing! The community became a flag stop on the railroad. A flag stop means the train would only stop if someone waved a flag to get on, or if someone on the train wanted to get off there.

The community was officially mapped out, or "plattted," in 1867. It was then renamed Converse, honoring railroad executive Joel N. Converse. Besides the sawmill and blacksmith shop, Converse also had a store, a school, and a church. The church was a Methodist church, which later became the Kingsley Full Gospel church. Because of this church, the area is sometimes called "Kingsley." So, Crumley's Crossing, Converse, and Kingsley all refer to the same spot in Blackford County. It's important not to confuse this Converse with the town of Converse located in Grant County.

The Railroad's Journey

The railroad line that passed through Converse was called the Union and Logansport Railroad Company. It was the very first railroad in Blackford County. This railroad line was first planned in 1862. It was finished up to Hartford City in 1867.

The line ran through several Blackford County communities. These included Dunkirk, Converse, Millgrove, and Hartford City. Later, another stop called Renner was added west of Hartford City. Converse was a flag stop located southeast of Millgrove.

Over the years, the railroad changed names many times. It was called the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railroad. Then it became the Panhandle division of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Later, it was known as the Penn Central Transportation Company, then Conrail, and finally Norfolk Southern Railway. Today, the railroad line between Converse and Hartford City is no longer used.

Where is Converse?

Converse is located in East Central Indiana. It sits between the towns of Dunkirk and Hartford City.

Millions of years ago, two huge glaciers flattened the northern part of Indiana. This includes the area that became Jackson Township and Converse. These glaciers also helped create the rich farmland found in Blackford County.

The region around Converse is mostly about agriculture, or farming. Soybeans and corn are the most popular crops grown in Blackford County. More than 65,000 acres of land are used to grow these two crops. Other crops and livestock (farm animals) are also raised in the county. The Zip Code 47336 includes Dunkirk, Indiana, which is a few miles east of Converse.

Weather in Converse

Converse, also known as Crumley's Crossing, has a typical Midwestern climate. This means it has a humid continental climate with four clear seasons.

Winters are cold with a moderate amount of snow. Summers can be warm and humid. The average highest temperature is in July, reaching about 74 °F (30 °C). The average lowest temperature is in January, around 26 °F (−8.0 °C). However, summer high temperatures can average 86 °F (30 °C) in July. Winter low temperatures average 18 °F (−8 °C) in January and February.

The average monthly rainfall ranges from about 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm). The most rain usually falls during May, June, and July. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 110.0 °F (43.3 °C) on July 14, 1936. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −25.0 °F (−31.7 °C) on January 21, 1985.