Agriculture

Princeton developed rich agricultural land from the fertile soils created by seasonal flooding of the Wabash, Patoka, and White Rivers and by silts deposited through glacial outwash at the end of the last glacial period. Archeological records indicate that Native Americans first began cultivating plants in Southern Indiana around 1,000 B.C. When European settlers arrived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, they faced the difficult work of clearing dense forests with only a few primitive tools. Early cornfields differed greatly from modern ones, with plants spaced 3 feet apart so a horse and plow could pass between the rows. The invention of the steel plow and harvesting machines during the 1850s transformed agriculture from subsistence-level farming into an economically viable industry, and large agricultural companies such as the 12,000-acre Princeton Farms began to form. While employed there in the 1940s, Orville Redenbacher started growing popcorn before later developing his own gourmet varieties. Even as agriculture shifted from small family farms to large-scale operations, local hospitality remained strong, as shown in 1930 when John Utley was injured during planting season and dozens of friends and neighbors donated their time and equipment to plant his crops. Over the centuries, crop yields continued to rise, with the local average corn yield increasing from 39 bushels per acre in 1910 to 166 bushels in 2013. Agriculture remains one of Princeton's major industries, with livestock, corn, soybeans, and wheat as staples, and the area was once known for tomato farms that supplied a local Heinz Ketchup factory. Princeton is also especially known for its melons, which were shipped to markets as far away as Pittsburgh, PA.

Princeton, Indiana · United States