Early pioneers established Huntington in the 1830s at the site where Miami Indians and French trappers exchanged goods. Because of its location near the Historic Forks of the Wabash, Huntington served as an important transportation hub in the Old Northwest. The Wabash & Erie Canal introduced a wide variety of craftsmen and their families to the area until railroads eventually made canal travel obsolete. After the canal boom and bust, railroads and farming dominated Huntington’s economy, but textiles, light manufacturing, and limestone quarries populated the landscape; limestone from Indiana was used to build the Washington Monument in Washington, DC. Some residents went on to achieve national fame, including Congressman Ed Roush, the architect of the 911 emergency response system, and Vice Pres. Dan Quayle. The town is also home to Huntington University, a perennial selection as one of the Midwest’s best private colleges.