By the end of the nineteenth century, a substantial reservoir of natural gas was discovered in East Central Indiana, prompting surrounding cities like Muncie, Anderson, and Kokomo to rush to discover their own supply. In the two decades before the twentieth century, new railway, telegraph, and telephone connections linked small towns and cities more intimately with the urban centers.
This played an integral role within its growing economy. By the spring of , the Muncie Natural Gas Company laid gas mains across most sections of town and was piping inexpensive gas to individual households and businesses. Boyce persuaded the Over window glass plant, the Hemingray bottle plant, and the famed Ball Brothers Company to build in Muncie.
The working population doubled from 5, in to 11, in , and Muncie was quickly becoming the largest city in the Indiana Gas Belt. By the end of the century, almost seven times the number of original saloons operated throughout the city and nearly double the number of boarding houses and hotels lined Walnut Street. Relief could be found in conversation, intoxication, sport or musical entertainment, and female company. Sex work often accompanied the development of urban, commercial, and transportation infrastructure.
It continued into a new residential area that grew beyond the railway tracks to support workers at the surrounding factories. Louis Railroad Lines and the L. Railroad Lines, coupled with its proximity to the commercial district, made it a hotbed for sex work.
The steady flow of newcomers and addition of boarding houses and saloons around the train depots provided potential clients and encounter sites. The Sanborn map identifies a barber, grocer, jeweler, and three saloons that occupied a block between 1 st and 2 nd Streets. Although it is hard to determine if these dwellings functioned as boarding houses, there was one known boarding house listed on the Sanborn map.
