Darke County, Ohio: History
=== Early history ===
Human activity in Darke County is believed to have emerged under the Adena culture during the Woodland period, roughly between 500 BCE and 100 AD. The Adena were later replaced by a series of Native American trading cultures known as the Ohio Hopewell, which were replaced by the Fort Ancient culture by 1000 AD. Although Darke County was in these cultures' spheres of influence, no major archaeological sites remain in the area. By the 1600s, the Miami people had settled the region, establishing their principal village at what is now Piqua in neighboring Miami County.
Europeans nominally owned the Louisiana Territory for centuries, dividing it among several different European countries over the years. Despite this, even as major settlements such as Detroit and St. Louis were established across the region, Darke County remained unsettled for most of that time.
The first major settlement was established at Fort Jefferson in 1791, and the base was used as a staging ground during the Northwest Indian War, but saw no action. Another camp was established in 1793 at Fort Greenville, where the historic Treaty of Greenville was signed in 1795, ceding control of Southern Ohio from the Native American tribes to the United States.
In 1807, the first European settlers began arriving in Darke County (then part of Miami). By 1808, initial plans were established for a settlement at the abandoned Fort Greenville that became the city of Greenville. Darke County split off from Miami County in 1809, and settlement continued to grow during the early 19th century, with major settlement outside Greenville proper hampered by unfavorable swampland. By mid-century, the county had roughly 15,000 people.
The railroad arrived in Darke County in 1850, and soon the county was a major intersection for three railroads, drastically spurring its economy. Despite its small size, Darke County had developed a vibrant civil society and had many churches and banking institutions, as well as two newspapers. The county saw a large influx of German immigrants at this time, which added to the community's social engagement.
During the American Civil War, Darke County was staunchly Unionist, and despite its small population it soon raised three full companies of volunteers for the Union Army. While the county was never on the Underground Railroad, local volunteers assisted escaped slaves moving to free states. During this time famed sharpshooter Annie Oakley was born there. She remains one of the county's most famous people.
Darke County's growth slowed during the 20th century, with its economy shifting towards manufacturing and light industry instead of just agriculture. It benefited from the growth of the Dayton metropolitan area toward the end of the century, but began to see its population decline during the late 20th century as manufacturing slowed nationwide and Dayton began losing people.
Darke County's economy has since rebounded and its population has remained steady, with massive agricultural and industrial investments making it one of the nation's best-performing micropolitan areas and a substantial amount of the working population still commuting to Dayton. As home to the Eldora Speedway, the county also hosts one of the Dayton metropolitan area's biggest tourist events.