[3] The town is named after Charles Anthony, a Muncie doctor and businessman, and is believed to be the oldest settlement in Hamilton Township being settled in the 1830s.

The town hosted a toll road station known as Six Mile House, a grain elevator and coal yard, and Bell Ranch, a 400-acre farm managed by former Delaware County commissioner Andy Jackson.

It also supported various businesses and professions, including an attorney, a well-driller, a plumber, a tax assessor, and an early hybrid seed corn grower and dealer.

One of the most tragic events in the town’s history was the boiler explosion at the Nickum Sawmill on March 24, 1900, which was described as "the worst Delaware County accident for many years."

[8] Local photographer John O. Newcomb captured images of the aftermath, which were sold through Williams' General Store, the town's main shop.