I have a soft spot for the tiny hamlets, villages, and unincorporated communities most people drive through without a second thought. After my recent post about Reed Station, a reader suggested I tackle another Delaware County community: Shideler. Considering my last name, I’ll try to put my biases at rest and give it a shot.
Isaac H. Shideler was born in Hamilton Township in 1839. A railroad promoter and local landowner1, he was deeded land at the north edge of Hamilton Township to establish a depot once the Fort Wayne, Muncie & Cincinnati Railroad came through2. Shideler established a post office in 18713 and soon became postmaster and the proprietor of a general store4.
Eventually, the village of Shideler grew to straddle Hamilton and Union Townships on both sides of its Main Street. By 1887, the community consisted of seven blocks that included a post office, Hamilton Township’s District 9 schoolhouse, many homes, a rail line, and the Yingling Brothers’ tile works and saw mill5.
Shideler grew. In 1920, the Indiana Farmers’ Grain Dealers’ Association completed a ninety-foot elevator in town6 that dwarfed its peers and probably became the tallest structure in all of Delaware County! Unfortunately, the post office closed in 19297. Not long after, an interurban line through town that led from Muncie to Bluffton shut down in 1941. Norfolk Southern continues to rumble through town from New Castle to Fort Wayne today, but Shideler’s sleepy: in 2005, its residents asked nearby Eaton to annex it8. Today, Shideler’s officially part of that community.
I wish I had some say in the matter, but despite my dad’s claims to the contrary, I haven’t found any evidence that my branch of the Shideler family was closely related to Isaac and his descendants. Nevertheless, a quick trip to Eaton the other day presented the perfect opportunity to tour the place.
Shideler sits two-fifths of a mile east of State Road 3 on County Road 800-North, once known as the Shideler Free Pike9. That’s the road I took to visit the place, although it wasn’t quite Shideler-Free as long as I was driving on top of it. Once in town, a northern turn on Shideler Street quickly becomes apparent.
Shideler Street curves around towards the Shideler skyscraper, Shideler Grain Company. The facility’s been expanded over the years and even owns the GE 60-ton locomotive purchased from Ball Brothers. The facility was bought by Yoder Grain in 202410 but it remains in operation as the most prominent landmark in town.
Aside from the elevator, the only commercial building left over from Shideler’s heyday appears to be the site of Helwig’s general store. Years ago, the place was a prototypical quick-trip, with pop, candy, and a meat counter11. Today, it seems to be used as a home.
The old Shideler schoolhouse sits further down Main Street. The brick building dates to 188512. It remained open through the 1922-23 term, when its students were finally consolidated into Hamilton Township’s central school at Royerton13.
Even without factories or a bustling business district, Shideler has remained a unique community. In 1978, it became home to Delaware County’s first county park, the earliest of three that were eventually also established in Daleville and Gaston14. The space features a playground, basketball court, shelter house, and picnic grill. Shideler Park’s ownership became controversial about twenty years ago14, but the problems seem to have quietly been resolved15.
I’m a little disappointed that my Delaware County branch of the Shideler family doesn’t appear to have much connection to Shideler, Indiana. Even so, I should probably try to declare eminent domain over the place and set it up as my worldwide blogging headquarters. Then again, I don’t want to tussle with Eaton.
Even so, I wish a little more had been done to celebrate the place that shares my surname. Shideler may never again be the bustling little railroad community it once was, but its story is still worth remembering. As for the other Shideler -me- I like to think I’ve still got a few good years left in me, too! We share a name and, if we’re lucky, we’ll also share something else: a legacy that lasts a little longer because someone took the time to tell our stories.
Sources Cited
1 Kemper, G. W. H. (1908). Education in Delaware County. In A Twentieth Century History of Delaware County, Indiana, Volume 1. book, Lewis Publishing Company.
2Helm, T. B. (1881). Mount Pleasant Township. In History of Delaware County, Indiana: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers. book, Kingman Brothers.2 (See footnote 2).
3 “Delaware County”. Jim Forte Postal History. Web. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
4 (See footnote 1).
5 Griffing, B. N. (1887). Hamilton Township. An atlas of Delaware County, Indiana. map, Philadelphia, PA; Griffing, Gordon, & Company.
6 Russell, J. & Shideler, T. (2024, October 22). Personal communication.
7 (See footnote 3).
8 Slabaugh, S. (2005, November 9). Shideler wants annexed to Eaton. The Muncie Star Press. p. 1.
9 Album of Yesteryear (1988, April 24). The Muncie Star. p. 34.
10 Shideler Grain Co and Schnepf Trust (n.d.). Halderman Real Estate & Farm Management. Web. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
11 Russell, J. & Shideler, T. (2026, July 24). Personal communication.
12 Truitt, W. (1871, December 29). Shideler. Delaware County Office of Information & GIS Services. plat map, Muncie, IN.
13 Delaware County Public Schools. (1916). School directory, Delaware County public schools, Delaware County, Indiana 1916-1917. Muncie, IN.
14 Roysdon, K. (2005, May 13). Town wants its park back. The Muncie Star Press. p. 1.
15 Parcel 0702202001000 (2026). Office of the Assessor. Delaware County [Muncie]. Web. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
