Octagon, Indiana
Unincorporated community in Indiana, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Octagon is a former unincorporated rural settlement in Wabash Township, Tippecanoe County, in the U.S. state of Indiana.[1] As part of Tippecanoe County, the community is part of the Lafayette, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Octagon, Indiana | |
|---|---|
Tippecanoe County's location in Indiana | |
  Octagon Location in Tippecanoe County | |
| Coordinates: 40°31′35″N 86°59′32″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | Tippecanoe |
| Township | Wabash |
| Elevation | 755 ft (230 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 47906 |
| Area code | 765 |
| GNIS feature ID | 440499[1] |
Geography
Octagon lies at the junction of local roads 750N and 450W, both gravel roads.[2] It is 15 miles (24 km) from La Fayette, Indiana, the county seat.[3]
History
A post office was established at Octagon in 1866, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1900.[4] Mail was subsequently routed through Lafayette.[5]
Octagon was the site of a Masonic Lodge established in 1874, as well as several churches and schools over the years. The site apparently took its name from an octagon-shaped schoolhouse on the site at one time.[6]
Octagon's population was 488 in 1900.[7]
The original Octagon Schoolhouse, also known as Number 2, was named for the shape of the building, which was sometimes described as round. It was razed around 1872.[8] The second Octagon School was an eight-sided building constructed in 1914, at a cost of $2,900. The Indiana State Superintendent called the eight-sided, one-room open design an "ideal plan" for a school.[9] The stucco building was heated with coal, and there were no indoor restrooms.[10]
Octagon's population was listed as 5 in 1940.[3]
By 1975, Octagon had only "a few houses" and the Masonic temple, and was described as a "ghost town".[11] The Masonic lodge had 107 members in 1954,[6] and was still active at least as recently as 2002.[12]
