Matthews, Indiana: Bridging Heritage and Opportunity
Nestled in Grant County, Matthews, Indiana is a small town with a big story to tell. Despite a population of only around 500 people, Matthews warmly welcomes investors, tourists, and proud residents alike. From its rich heritage of the gas boom days to the iconic covered bridge that still stands over the Mississinewa River, Matthews offers the charm of yesterday with the promise of tomorrow. In this friendly community, you’ll find historic landmarks, enthusiastic local festivals, outdoor adventures, solid infrastructure, and a prime location near regional hubs – all the ingredients that make Matthews a hidden gem in the Hoosier State.
An 1895 promotional map marketed Matthews as “The Metropolis of the Gas Belt,” reflecting the town’s ambitions during the Indiana gas boom era. Early founders hoped Matthews’ central location in the Trenton Gas Field could even make it Indiana’s new state capital – a grand vision that left Matthews with an unusually wide Main Street designed for a much larger city (RareMaps.com).
Celebrating Matthews’ Heritage – From Gas Boom to Covered Bridge
Matthews earned the nickname “The Wonder City” during the Indiana Gas Boom, when thousands of workers flocked to the area and lived in tent cities to power dozens of glass, brick, and steel plants (Town of Matthews). Officially founded in 1895 at the height of the Indiana Gas Boom, near the older 1833 settlement of New Cumberland. Back then, optimism ran high – investors touted Matthews as the “paradise of the laboring man as well as of the capitalist and manufacturer” with “fuel…perpetual and unlimited” during the boom (RareMaps.com). The town’s population is rumored to have swelled to about 120,000 people living in tent cities to work in local glass, brick, and steel plants (Town of Matthews).
Dozens of factories sprang up almost overnight; Matthews briefly boasted a brickworks and as many as 23 glass factories at their peak, all drawn by the cheap natural gas (Historic Structures). While the gas boom frenzy was short-lived (the wells ran dry by 1903), it left a lasting legacy. Today, locals still point out Matthews’ extra-wide Main Street, a reminder of those grand plans, and a sign that the town was built to dream big.
Of course, no discussion of Matthews’ heritage is complete without the Cumberland Covered Bridge – a true landmark and point of pride. Built in 1877 to span the Mississinewa River, this wooden Howe truss bridge (also known as the Matthews Covered Bridge) is the only remaining covered bridge in Grant County. The bridge has literally weathered the test of time: during the Great Flood of 1913, it was swept three-quarters of a mile downstream, but remarkably survived intact (Historic Structures). In a heroic feat of old-fashioned ingenuity, residents used horses, rollers, and winches to pull the 175-foot structure back to its original site, raising it a few feet higher on new foundations to protect against future floods. Thanks to that community effort, the 1877 bridge still stands strong over the Mississinewa – an enduring symbol of Matthews’ resilience and history. In 1978 the covered bridge earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, cementing its status as an icon of the town’s legacy.
Aerial photo from Matthews Feed and Grain showing their industrial corner of Matthews with Jennerjahn across the street.
A Supportive, Business-Friendly Community with Big Potential
Matthews may be small, but it has a big welcome mat out for businesses and entrepreneurs. The town’s history of enterprise – from gas boom industries to mid-century manufacturing – speaks to a community that believes in its economic potential. Those early investors literally mapped out “Factory Sites” on the town plat, and that pro-business spirit carries forward to today. Modern Matthews prides itself on being a place where a new venture can feel at home. The Main Street, once designed for a metropolis, now offers generous space for new shops, eateries, or offices to spread out and grow. Being in a rural setting hasn’t stopped Matthews from pursuing progress; if anything, it fuels their creativity to attract and support businesses that value close community ties.
Founded in 1920, Matthews Feed & Grain has grown from a farmers’ cooperative into a modern agricultural powerhouse. With over 1.7 million bushels of grain storage and state-of-the-art feed mills, the company serves local farmers within a 15-mile radius while shipping products to more than 20 states. Its operation includes toll milling and e-commerce capabilities, helping the business stay competitive and innovative in the ag industry.
Across the street from the full-service feed and grain, Jennerjahn Machine exemplifies Matthews’ resilience and ingenuity. Since 1979, this family-owned company has manufactured advanced slitter-rewinder and converting machinery used around the world. After a devastating facility fire in 2023, Jennerjahn rebuilt and reopened in just 13 months, now operating from a newly constructed 24,000 sq. ft. assembly plant. Their commitment to growth and global excellence demonstrates Matthews’ ability to support sophisticated, export-driven manufacturing businesses.
Matthews is also anchored by a supportive community network, with groups like the Matthews Lions Club, which is extremely active and lives by their motto “We Serve.” Proceeds from community events (like the annual festival) are plowed right back into the town – funding everything from preserving the historic bridge to helping neighbors in need. The club has led recycling drives to turn bottle caps into park benches, sponsors programs at the local Eastbrook schools, and even helps maintain the town’s parks. An investor or business owner in Matthews can count on that neighborly support – whether it’s volunteers showing up to help paint a new storefront or the town council working with you to make a project happen. The past industrial heyday of Matthews is proof that the town can host industry, and the present-day camaraderie ensures that new businesses are greeted as partners in the community’s future.
For anyone looking to invest or start a venture, Matthews offers the rare combination of small-town friendliness and big-picture vision. You’re not just opening a business in Matthews – you’re joining a community family eager to see you succeed. Local organizations like the Lions Club, as well as the Grant County Economic Growth Council, are great resources to connect with if you’re considering Matthews for your next business opportunity. The welcome is warm, the enthusiasm is real, and the possibilities are promising.
The historic Cumberland Covered Bridge (built in 1877) is the focal point of Matthews’ annual Covered Bridge Festival, drawing thousands of visitors each year to celebrate the town’s heritage. The festival, organized by the Matthews Lions Club for over 50 years, helps fund the bridge’s preservation and community projects, ensuring this icon – and the town’s spirit – endure for future generations.
Covered Bridge Festival – A Beloved Tradition Fueling Community Pride
Every year as summer turns to fall, Matthews comes alive with the Matthews Covered Bridge Festival – a three-day celebration that perfectly captures the town’s spirit. Now in its fifth decade (the tradition dates back to the late 1960s), the festival has become the highlight of the year for residents and a delightful discovery for visitors. For one long weekend each September, Matthews swells from a sleepy town of 500 to a bustling fairground of 10,000+ people coming from all over Indiana and beyond. It’s truly a sight to see so many people strolling down Matthews’ broad streets, browsing craft booths, enjoying homemade foods, and of course, admiring the famous covered bridge up close.
At the heart of the festival – both literally and figuratively – is the Cumberland Covered Bridge. The event takes place in the riverside parkland adjacent to the bridge, so the 145-year-old wooden span provides a picturesque backdrop (and yes, you can still walk or drive through it, which many festival-goers do for nostalgia’s sake). The bridge is more than just a photo op; it’s the reason the festival exists. In fact, the Matthews Lions Club originally started the gathering over 50 years ago as a simple antique tractor show and fundraiser to help preserve the aging bridge. Over time, it evolved into the full-fledged Covered Bridge Festival, celebrating not only the bridge’s history but all of Matthews’ heritage and hometown pride.
The festival offers fun for all ages. You’ll find everything from live music and classic car shows to kids’ games, pony rides, helicopter rides, and historical experiences. There are food tents run by local churches and fire departments grilling up Indiana favorites, vendors selling crafts and antiques, and often a parade or vintage tractor display paying homage to the area’s agricultural roots. Many residents take advantage of the influx of visitors to host yard sales and bake sales, creating a town-wide open-air market feel. It’s a true community affair – neighbors and volunteers work the ticket gates, direct parking, and ensure everyone feels at home. As festival chairman Roger Richards noted, “It’s a very comfortable place to be. People come year after year to see the same people”. There’s a genuine sense of reunion each year as folks reunite at Matthews, making new memories while reminiscing about old ones.
Beyond the fun, the Covered Bridge Festival has a meaningful economic and social impact. The modest $2 admission and donations collected go directly into community projects and preserving the bridge itself. All proceeds support Matthews – whether funding maintenance on the historic bridge, installing new park benches, or aiding local charities. In this way, the festival not only celebrates the past but also actively invests in the town’s future. It’s a wonderful model of how a small town can leverage its heritage for sustainable community development. If you’re a visitor, the festival is the perfect time to experience Matthews at its liveliest. And if you’re a prospective investor or new resident, there’s no better introduction to the town’s welcoming atmosphere – you’ll quickly see that community pride and cooperation are alive and well in Matthews, Indiana.
Outdoor Adventures and Recreation in Matthews
If you love the outdoors, Matthews offers plenty of recreation that belies its small size. The town is set along the scenic Mississinewa River, which provides a peaceful natural playground for fishing, boating, and exploring. In fact, just beside the covered bridge is a public river access area (Hurst Lions Club Memorial Park), complete with a boat launch and fishing spot (lovesgarfield.com). Spend a lazy afternoon casting a line in the Mississinewa’s waters – you might catch bass or catfish – or launch a kayak or canoe to paddle under the famous red bridge and down the gentle river currents. It’s not uncommon to see families picnicking by the riverbanks while anglers try their luck nearby. This riverside park is lovingly maintained by the local Lions Club (who keep it clean and inviting for everyone) and even features a whimsical surprise: a life-size Garfield the Cat statue dressed as a fisherman, complete with a cartoon fish on the line (lovesgarfield.com).
For those seeking more adrenaline in their recreation, Matthews is home to the Muddobbers Motorcycle Club, one of Indiana’s oldest and most respected off-road riding clubs. Founded back in the mid-1950s, the Muddobbers have been making trails in the Matthews area for decades (muddobbersmc.org). The club hosts a variety of off-road motorcycle events throughout the year, including competitive enduros, hare scrambles, and family-friendly trail rides (muddobbersmc.org). Riders from all over the state (and even the nation) know the Muddobbers for their top-notch courses – in fact, the club often holds rounds of national enduro series and other major events that put Matthews on the map for off-road enthusiasts. These events bring in hundreds of riders and spectators, filling local restaurants and campgrounds and showcasing Matthews’ ability to host visitors beyond the big bridge festival. Even if you’re not a rider yourself, it’s worth attending a Muddobbers event to feel the excitement and see a different side of the town’s recreational life. The roar of dirt bikes on a crisp fall morning and the cheers of fans in the woods have become another beloved sound of Matthews.
Aside from river pursuits and motorsports, Matthews offers simple country pleasures. The town has a few small parks and playgrounds (ideal for a picnic or a pickup basketball game), and its rural surroundings are perfect for biking, hiking, or bird-watching. The Cardinal Greenway rail-trail, which stretches 60 miles from Marion to Muncie, passes just a few minutes south of Matthews and is accessible for those who want a long, scenic bike ride through Indiana farmland and woods. Plans are in the works to better connect Grant County’s trail networks to this regional greenway, which will make Matthews even more attractive for outdoor enthusiasts in the future. Whether you prefer a leisurely walk by a meandering river or the thrill of revving an engine on a dirt trail, Matthews offers a bit of something for everyone. It’s the kind of place where you can spend the morning trekking through nature and the afternoon swapping stories with friendly locals at the diner – the pace is relaxed, and the recreation is as casual or as adventurous as you want it to be.
Infrastructure and Accessibility – Built for Convenience
One of Matthews’ best-kept secrets is how well connected and infrastructure-ready it is for a town of its size. Don’t let the rural charm fool you – basic utilities and modern amenities are in place to support both residents and businesses. The Town of Matthews operates its own municipal utilities, so water, sewage, and waste services are available and affordably managed at the local level (you can even pay your utility bill online, a nice convenience for a small town) (Town of Matthews). Electricity is provided via regional utility companies, ensuring reliable power, and the town is working with county partners to continually upgrade infrastructure. High-speed internet is also on the horizon: Grant County as a whole is benefiting from significant fiber-optic broadband investments, which are extending fiber internet availability to more and more rural communities like Matthews. This means that whether you’re running a business that requires modern connectivity or a remote worker moving in for the country lifestyle, you won’t be left offline. The push for better broadband is just one example of how Matthews is keeping an eye on the future and making sure small-town life doesn’t mean sacrificing modern comfort.
Transportation infrastructure is another strong suit. Matthews’ location and road access are surprisingly convenient given its quiet setting. The town sits only about 10–11 miles from both Marion and Muncie, putting it roughly a 15-minute drive from each of these larger communities and their amenities. Interstate 69, the main north-south highway through Indiana, is a short drive west of Matthews via State Road 26 or State Road 22, connecting you to the rest of the Midwest. In practical terms, that means you can reach the major city of Indianapolis in about an hour and Fort Wayne in just over an hour, making Matthews within commuting range of big-city job markets or day-trip range of urban shopping, dining, and airports. Being near I-69 also benefits local businesses – shipping logistics or customer travel is made much easier with an interstate interchange nearby.
Within town, the streets are well-maintained by the local government (often with assistance from state community crossing grants). You’ll find that getting around Matthews is easy, whether by car, bicycle, or on foot. There’s ample parking downtown (thanks again to that wide Main Street!), and virtually no congestion – except maybe momentarily when a farm tractor moseys through. Importantly, the town’s physical infrastructure has room to grow. There are open plots and former industrial sites that could be repurposed for new development, with water, sewer, and electric hookups readily available. Grant County officials have identified and been working on preparing sites for commercial or light industrial use, ensuring that any prospective company can plug in with minimal hassle. For a business eyeing Matthews, this means less time worrying about infrastructure and more time focusing on your operations.
In summary, Matthews offers the best of both worlds infrastructure-wise: the peace and simplicity of a small town, and the connectivity of a town positioned strategically near highways and bolstered by forward-looking improvements. Residents enjoy modern services and the ability to travel easily for work or leisure, and investors will find that Matthews has the groundwork (literally) to support new ventures. It’s a town that may be over a century old, but it’s keeping up with the times in all the right ways.
Location: The Heart of East-Central Indiana
Location, location, location – and Matthews has a great one. Situated in Grant County, in East-Central Indiana, Matthews is both pleasantly rural and conveniently near larger hubs. The town lies roughly halfway between the cities of Muncie (to the southeast) and Marion (to the northwest), as noted, each about 11 miles away. This means residents can easily tap into the resources of those communities – from universities and hospitals to shopping and cultural events – without giving up the tranquility of small-town life. Marion, the Grant County seat, offers major retailers, Ivy Tech and Indiana Wesleyan University campuses, a regional hospital, and various industries, providing employment and collaboration opportunities. Muncie, home to Ball State University, adds even more vibrancy with its collegiate atmosphere, museums, and a regional airport. Matthews enjoys the unique advantage of being in the orbit of multiple economic centers – you can head one direction and be in Marion, another and be in Muncie, all in under 20 minutes.
Zooming out a bit further, Matthews sits just off the beaten path of the I-69 corridor. This strategic interstate corridor links Indianapolis, the state capital (~70 miles southwest of Matthews), to Fort Wayne (~50 miles northeast), and continues on toward Michigan. Matthews’ proximity to I-69 means that a drive to Indianapolis (approx. 1.5 hours) or Fort Wayne (about 1 hour) is very feasible for business or pleasure. You can catch a Pacers or Colts game in Indy, or visit the famous children’s zoo in Fort Wayne, and be back home in Matthews by bedtime. Being near I-69 also places Matthews in the growth path of the broader region. As Indy’s influence extends northeast and Fort Wayne’s extends southwest, Grant County stands at a beneficial crossroads. In fact, Grant County’s communities (Matthews included) are highlighted in regional development plans precisely because they offer a perfect blend of lower costs and easy access to big-city corridors. Matthews can truly say it’s “close to everything, yet away from it all.”
Another regional perk is Matthews’ location within Grant County’s tapestry of attractions. Grant County is known for its rich history and pop culture icons – James Dean’s hometown of Fairmount is just 10 miles away, and as mentioned, the Garfield statue trail winds through the area, including Matthews. Nature lovers can venture a short drive to Mississinewa Lake (a large reservoir northwest of town) for boating and camping, or to the Cardinal Greenway trailheads for long bike rides. Matthews is also only a county away from the splendor of Indiana’s Summit Lake State Park (in Henry County) and a quick country drive to several other charming small towns (like Upland, Gas City, and Fairmount, all within 10–15 minutes). The town is firmly rooted in America’s agricultural heartland – surrounded by fertile farmland and open skies – yet a network of roads easily connects it to whatever you might need in the modern world.
For tourists plotting a trip, Matthews can serve as a peaceful home base to explore East-Central Indiana. You can enjoy a quiet night at a local bed-and-breakfast or riverside campground in Matthews, then take short day trips to places like the Marion Splash House water park, the Quilters Hall of Fame museum (Marion), or the Academy of Model Aeronautics in Muncie. For investors, Matthews’ location offers the ability to draw workforce and customers from multiple directions – essentially tapping into both the Muncie and Marion labor markets (which together total over 100,000 people in the region). Distribution or service businesses also appreciate that from Matthews, reaching customers in Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, or Louisville is only a few hours’ drive, given the straight shot to interstates. It’s an advantageous spot for those wanting reach without big-city headaches.
Ultimately, Matthews strikes a wonderful geographic balance. It embodies the phrase “centrally located” – not just within Grant County, but within the broader economic landscape of Indiana. The town’s tagline could well be “close to what matters”, because truly, it is. Close to rich farmland and natural beauty. Close to highways and big cities. Close to neighbors who care. And as you’ll find, once you visit or invest in Matthews, it’ll become close to your heart as well.