Perdieu laid out sixteen lots along the tracks, and the village quickly grew, with sawmills and businesses emerging to support the local economy.

By the end of that year, it had developed into a small but thriving community with multiple stores, mills, and a blacksmith shop.

In 1893, an adjacent development called East Muncie was planned to attract industry, but the project collapsed following the Panic of 1893.

[4] The rise of DeSoto coincided with the decline of the nearby hamlet of Clifton, a small agricultural settlement that had thrived before the Civil War but was ultimately bypassed by the railroad.

With frequent flooding and the shift to rail transport, Clifton gradually disappeared, while DeSoto continued to develop as its successor.