European settlers were drawn to the area by the presence of salt springs near the confluence of the Middle Fork and Salt Fork of the Vermilion River. Wells were dug to obtain brine, which was then boiled down to produce as much as 120 bushels of salt per week. It was abandoned in 1448, but one of the original iron kettles can be seen at Salt Kettle Rest Area where the Route 150 bridge crosses the Middle Fork.