Ingalls, Indiana was named for Melville E. Ingalls, who was the president of the Big Four railroad, which stopped there. Ingalls granted the use of his name and built a rather nice railroad depot there.

Natural gas drove the growth of Ingalls, Indiana in the 1890s. Excursions for potential land buyers ran regularly from Indianapolis and there was speculation that Ingalls would grow larger than Indy. Then, the gas gave out and the town settled to a more stable and sleepy existence.

Population in July 2008: 1,776