About Upland

The area that is home to Taylor was first settled by a farmer, James Forehand, in 1828. It was not until 1867 that the town of Upland was laid out by Jacob Bugher, the first settler of the town. That year also marked the first train coming through town as part of the Indiana Central Railroad, with Upland planned as a depot point. The name Upland was given to the town since it was the highest point on the railroad between Columbus, Ohio and Chicago.

In 1886 a discovery of vast amounts of natural gas in the area led to the great gas boom of central Indiana with gas being found in Upland in 1888. In 1891 the Upland Land Company was founded to take advantage of the boom and help promote the development of the town. Excitement was in the air throughout the surrounding communities. Just five miles down the road from Taylor, the town of Matthews soon had seven major factories begin and even began to boast of a major league baseball team calling Matthews its home. There was even talk of moving the state capital from Indianapolis to Matthews, and to this day evidence can be seen in the town as the main road is very wide.

It was into this thriving and economically prospering region that Taylor University moved from Fort Wayne to Upland in 1893. The Upland Land Company agreed to give the University 10 acres of ground and $10,000, a large amount for that time period, if they would move to Upland. The building where the Admissions office is located was part of the original 10 acres of ground given to the University. By 1900 when the supply of natural gas began to decline the school was firmly established in its new location. Gas finally gave out in 1905. The nearby town of Gas City stands as testament of an era when natural gas revolutionized the area!

Today, Upland is home to 3500 residents and Interstate 69 connects the town to both Fort Wayne on the north and Indianapolis on the south, both only an hour's drive away. Instead of the railroad bringing people to the University, airports at both Fort Wayne and Indianapolis fly students to "their home away from home." Upland is home to one of the larger companies in the state of Indiana, Avis Corporation and to one of the Midwest's most famous ice cream parlors, Ivanhoes, the home of 100 flavors of Sundaes and 100 shakes! On any given evening, long lines of people can be seen ordering their favorite delight from Ivanhoes.