Westland, Indiana

For the unincorporated community in Putnam County, see Westland, Putnam County, Indiana.

Westland, Indiana
Unincorporated community
Westland Show map of Indiana Westland Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 39°45′01″N 85°41′16″W
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Hancock
Township	Blue River
Elevation [1]	892 ft (272 m)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	46140
GNIS feature ID	447628[1]

Westland is an unincorporated community in Blue River Township, Hancock County, in the U.S. state of Indiana.[1]

History

Westland was never properly laid out or platted as a town.[2]

The community received its name from the Westland Friends Church, which was established in the area in 1840. Quakers, who attended the Walnut Ridge Friends Meeting near Carthage in Rush County, moved into southeastern Hancock County in the 1830s. It was too far to travel to church on a regular basis so a new Meeting was established in the land west of Walnut Ridge. This would be Westland Friends church, which is still in existence today.[3]

A post office was established at Westland in 1845, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1905.[4] Henry West served as an early postmaster.[5]

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Westland, Indiana
2. Richman, George J. (1916). History of Hancock County, Indiana: Its People, Industries and Institutions. Wm. Mitchell Printing Company. pp. 494.
3. "Close-knit Congregation Celebrates 175 Years". Daily Reporter, Greenfield, IN. December 18, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
4. "Hancock County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
5. Baker, Ronald L. (October 1995). From Needmore to Prosperity: Hoosier Place Names in Folklore and History. Indiana University Press. p. 343. ISBN 978-0-253-32866-3. The name may be for Henry West, the first postmaster.