This county was so called in respect to Major Fountain,
of Kentucky, who was killed at the head of the mounted militia, in the
battle on the Maumee, near Fort Wayne, in 1790. The surface of the
county is mostly level, though the central and southern parts are
occasionally undulating; and it is beauti¬fully variegated with
heavy forests and rich prairies, which latter constitute about
one-fourth of the county. The soil is generally a black loam, with a
slight mixture of sand, and is very fertile, producing excellent crops
of wheat and corn. In the southern part of the county there is a
preponderance of clay, and the soil there is consequently better
adapted to wheat and grass. There was originally an
abundance of timber, consisting of poplar, sugar, beech, oak, walnut
and hickory.
Covington, the
county seat, is a thriving town on the Indianapolis, Bloomington and
Western Railway. Attica is another smart town in this county. It is
located on the Toledo, "Wabash and Western Railway. The county has made
great improvement during the last decade, both in the growth of its
towns and the general developments of the farming districts. The
schools are efficient and prosperous.
