Eaton Map
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.
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. The discovery set off the Indiana Gas Boom, leading to two decades of rapid regional growth.
Eaton is located at 40°20?23?N 85°21?13?W / 40.33972°N 85.35361°W / 40.33972; -85.35361 (40.339675, -85.353746).
Nearby cities include Muncie, Redkey, Selma, Upland, Yorktown.