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How An Indiana County Was Nearly Destroyed By The Great Squirrel Invasion Of 1822
200 years ago, the Hoosier State was devastated by rampaging rodents
As Americans settled new communities throughout the history of the United States, challenges met them at practically every turn. There were some things that could be somewhat anticipated like shortage of supplies and catastrophic weather events. However, it’s the unexpected that gets you every time, and something so unusual happened in one Indiana county in 1822 that was nearly destroyed by what came to be called as the Great Squirrel Invasion.
In the early part of the 19th century, Indiana was a burgeoning frontier state, having just gained statehood in 1816. Its landscape was predominantly rural, with huge tracts of forests dotted with growing farms. Agriculture was the obvious backbone of the state economy, with settlers cultivating crops such as corn, wheat, and various fruits and vegetables. Anything that might upset the balance in nature needed to be successful at farming could be catastrophic.
The summer of 1822 started like any other, but by late August, reports of unusual squirrel activity began to pop up around various parts of the state, particularly Hamilton County. Witnesses described seeing massive groups of squirrels, sometimes…
