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Morgan County, Indiana

Morgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 71,780. The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Martinsville.

Morgan County is between Indianapolis, in Marion County, and Bloomington in Monroe County. It is included in the Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN Metropolitan Statistical Area. Two major highways, Interstate 69 and Indiana State Road 67, carry large numbers of daily commuters between the two larger communities. The county has 14 townships which provide local services.

History
The future state of Indiana was first regulated by passage of the Northwest Ordinance in 1787. The governing structure created by this act was superposed over an area that was still largely contested with the country's natives, although they were being gradually pushed out of the area. In 1818, a series of treaties was concluded, resulting in the confinement of the Miami tribe to the reserve area and the removal of the Delaware tribe, who had dominated central and east central Indiana, to west of the Mississippi River by 1820, clearing the way for colonization. The area was called the Delaware New Purchase until it was divided into Wabash County in the northwest and Delaware County in the southeast on January 2, 1820. Those counties were soon after dissolved, and the areas came to be called the "Wabash New Purchase" and "Delaware New Purchase" (renamed the "Adams New Purchase" in 1827). Subsequently, 35 new counties (including Morgan, authorized on February 15, 1822) were carved out of the original area. It was named for Gen. Daniel Morgan, who defeated the British at the Battle of Cowpens in the Revolutionary War.

The first settlers arrived in Morgan County in 1822. They came mostly from southern states. The Mooresville area and surrounding communities received large numbers of southern Quakers, driven to migrate because of their opposition to slavery. Paul Hadley, a Mooresville resident, was the designer of the current Indiana flag, as well as a locally prominent water color artist in the early twentieth century.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, mineral springs in Martinsville gave rise to several spas, and the nickname of the Martinsville High School athletic teams has subsequently been the Artesians.

County government took several steps forward in the 2000s, creating a new Plan Commission, re-instituting a county economic development organization, and establishing the county's first Park and Recreation Board between 2000 and 2004. Morgan County also was the first county in the metropolitan Indianapolis region to establish a smoking ban ordinance for restaurants, which came into effect in 2004.

Courthouse
The first building used for Morgan County courts was the log house of a pioneer. Work began in 1823 to build the first courthouse, a two-story log house. A brick courthouse replaced it in 1833.

The Morgan County courthouse was designed by Isaac Hodgson in the Italianate style. It was built from 1857 to 1859 by Perry M. Blankenship of Martinsville at a cost of $32,000. It was almost identical to Hodgson's Jennings County courthouse in Vernon, which was also begun in 1857, but the Martinsville building received an addition in the 1970s; the original section was also remodeled and renovated at that time. The building is of red brick with white stone quoins and has tall windows with round arches, arranged in pairs. It is one of the few remaining pre-Civil War courthouses.

Geography
Morgan County is where the glaciers stopped their southward advance during the last ice age. As a result, the area has both flat areas and rolling hills, with the most diverse soil of any county in the United States. The extensive woodlands of the eighteenth century have been cleared on the county's flat areas, with agricultural or urban uses dominating. The county is significantly carved with wooded drainages, leading to the southwest-flowing White River. According to radar telemetry gathered by the US Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission, Morgan County terrain ranges from 604 to 1010 ft ASL.

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 409.43 sqmi, of which 403.97 sqmi (or 98.67%) is land and 5.46 sqmi (or 1.33%) is water. Morgan County is bisected by the White River Valley; the community has taken an interest in recent years in protecting the river as an asset, seeking to develop parks and greenways along the White River and initiating an annual river cleanup day in the spring.

The county also is home to large areas of land that were not glaciated during the last ice age. The river valley and contributing watersheds, along with the non-glaciated hills, results in a topography unlike the rest of the metropolitan Indianapolis area. County residents are proud of the scenic terrain, and in recent years have established a county park system and a bike/pedestrian trail system plan to provide protection and access to the amenities. An annual 5 mi run is held as a fundraiser for the path system endowment.

Adjacent counties

 * Hendricks County (north)
 * Marion County (northeast)
 * Johnson County (east)
 * Brown County (southeast)
 * Monroe County (south)
 * Owen County (southwest)
 * Putnam County (northwest)

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-69.svg|20px]] Interstate 69
 * [[Image:I-70.svg|20px]] Interstate 70
 * [[Image:indiana 37.svg|20px]] State Road 37
 * [[Image:indiana 39.svg|20px]] State Road 39
 * [[Image:indiana 42.svg|20px]] State Road 42
 * [[Image:indiana 44.svg|20px]] State Road 44
 * [[Image:indiana 67.svg|20px]] State Road 67
 * [[Image:indiana 135.svg|20px]] State Road 135
 * [[Image:indiana 142.svg|20px]] State Road 142
 * [[Image:indiana 144.svg|20px]] State Road 144
 * [[Image:indiana 252.svg|20px]] State Road 252
 * [[Image:indiana 267.svg|20px]] State Road 267

City and towns

 * Bethany
 * Brooklyn
 * Martinsville (city/county seat)
 * Monrovia
 * Mooresville
 * Morgantown
 * Paragon

Unincorporated places

 * Adams
 * Alaska
 * Allman
 * Banta
 * Beech Grove
 * Bluffs
 * Briarwood
 * Brookmoor
 * Bunker Hill
 * Camby (part)
 * Center Valley
 * Centerton
 * Champlin Meadows
 * Chetwynd
 * Cope
 * Crestview Heights
 * Crown Center
 * Eminence
 * Exchange
 * Fields
 * Five Points
 * Gasburg
 * Hall
 * Hyndsdale
 * Lake Hart
 * Landersdale
 * Lewisville
 * Little Point
 * Mahalasville
 * Maxwell
 * McDaniel
 * Miller
 * Mount Zion Corner
 * Painted Hills (census-designated place)
 * Plano
 * Ridgewood
 * Shelburne
 * Stines Mill Corner
 * Turkey Track
 * Wakeland
 * Waverly
 * Waverly Woods
 * Whitaker
 * Wilbur
 * Willowbrook Estates
 * Wiser
 * Woodcrest
 * Wolff
 * Young

Townships

 * Adams
 * Ashland
 * Baker
 * Brown
 * Clay
 * Green
 * Gregg
 * Harrison
 * Jackson
 * Jefferson
 * Madison
 * Monroe
 * Ray
 * Washington

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Martinsville have ranged from a low of 18 °F in January to a high of 85 °F in July, although a record low of -35 °F was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 105 °F was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.44 in in February to 4.73 in in May.

Government
The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana and the Indiana Code. The county council is the fiscal branch of the county government and controls spending and revenue collection. Four Council members are elected from county districts, and three are elected at-large by the entire county electorate. The council members serve four-year terms and are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget and special spending. The council has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of optional income taxes and the property tax levy that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes and service taxes.

The executive body of the county; commissioners are elected county-wide to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute acts legislated by the council, collect revenue and manage the county government.

The county maintains a small claims court that handles civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.

The county has other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor and circuit court clerk. These officers are elected to four-year terms. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and be residents of the county.

Each township has a trustee who administers rural fire protection and ambulance service, provides poor relief and manages cemetery care, among other duties. The trustee is assisted in these duties by a three-member township board. The trustees and board members are elected to four-year terms.

Morgan County is split between Indiana's fourth and ninth districts; Indiana Senate districts 35 and 37; and Indiana House of Representatives districts 47 and 91.

2010 Census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 68,894 people, 25,765 households, and 19,355 families in the county. The population density was 170.5 PD/sqmi. There were 27,754 housing units at an average density of 68.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 97.7% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.3% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 46% of people in Morgan County were of English ancestry, 22.1% were of German ancestry, and 10.3% were of Irish ancestry. Of the 25,765 households, 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.8% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 24.9% were non-families, and 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.04. The median age was 39.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $62,507. Males had a median income of $48,457 versus $34,831 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,972. About 7.2% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Morgan County is served by the Morgan County Public Library, which operates six branches.

title: Morgan County, Indiana


text:
Talk:Montgomery County, Indiana

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license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Talk:Montgomery County, Indiana


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Monroe County, Indiana

Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. In 1910 the US Census Bureau calculated the nation's mean population center to lie in Monroe County. The population was 139,718 at the 2020 United States Census. The county seat is Bloomington. Monroe County is part of the Bloomington, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Monroe County was formed in 1818 from portions of Orange County. It was named for James Monroe, fifth President of the United States, who was in that office from 1817 until 1825.

Demographics
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 139,718 people and 56,399 households with an average of 2.34 persons per household in the county. The population density was 354.1 PD/sqmi. As of July 1, 2021, there were 64,362 housing units of which 55.2% were owner-occupied. The racial makeup of the county was 86.0% white, 6.9% Asian, 3.9% black or African American, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 2.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.8% of the population.

According to the American Community Survey, as of 2021, there were 56,714 households with the average household size of 2.18 persons. Out of those 27,340 households were families with the average family size of 2.87 persons, 22.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them. A total of 37.3% of all households were householders living alone.

The median income for a household in the county was $51,945 (in 2021 USD) and the per capita income was $30,609. Males had a median income of $52,263 versus $47,953 for females.

About 10.6% of families and 22.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.7% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 411.32 sqmi, of which 394.51 sqmi (or 95.91%) is land and 16.81 sqmi (or 4.09%) is water. The county terrain is low rolling hills, covered with vegetation and largely devoted to agricultural use or urban development. The eastern part is carved with drainages and gullies, leading to Griffy Lake. The county's highest point is McGuire Benchmark, just NW of Bloomington, at 994 ft ASL.

Adjacent counties

 * Morgan (north)
 * Brown (northeast)
 * Jackson (southeast)
 * Lawrence (south)
 * Greene (southwest)
 * Owen (northwest)

Bodies of water
Monroe County is divided between the basins of the East Fork and West Fork of Indiana's White River. The northern part drains to the West Fork; the southern part of the county drains to the East Fork, primarily via the Salt Creek and its tributaries, such as the Clear Creek (known as the "Jordan River" on Indiana University Bloomington campus).

Several artificial reservoirs have been constructed by damming the county's creeks. The largest is Monroe Lake, a large reservoir on Salt Creek in the southeastern part of the county. It is used both for recreational purposes and to supply the city with drinking water. Until the late 1960s, the main source of water supply was the smaller Lake Lemon (constructed 1953), in the northeastern part of the county; it is now the backup water source and is mainly used for recreation.

The third largest is Griffy Lake, on the northern slope of the county. Constructed in 1924 by damming Griffy Creek, it was Bloomington's main water source until 1954; it is now used primarily for recreation although it also serves as an emergency water source. In 2012–2013, the lake was drained, the dam repaired, and the lake was refilled.

A smaller lake, Weimer (Wapehani) in the Clear Creek basin, was constructed for water supply purposes, but during most of its history was used purely for recreation - mainly fishing. In 2017 authorities revealed plans to drain this lake permanently, as it was considered to be unsafe. This was carried out in the summer of 2018.

Limestone has been quarried in Monroe County since 1826. A number of abandoned limestone quarries in the county are now cliff-surrounded lakes (as seen in the 1979 film Breaking Away), stable without ongoing human intervention.

National protected areas

 * Hoosier National Forest (part)

Natural wonders

 * Buckner Cave
 * Leonard Springs Nature Park, where the water of Sinking Creek reappears in springs

Cities

 * Bloomington

Towns

 * Ellettsville
 * Stinesville

Census-designated places

 * Harrodsburg
 * Smithville-Sanders

Unincorporated communities

 * Arlington
 * Broadview
 * Buenavista
 * Cascade
 * Chapel Hill
 * Clear Creek
 * Dolan
 * Eastern Heights
 * Elwren
 * Fairfax
 * Fleener
 * Forest Park Heights
 * Garden Acres
 * Handy
 * Highland Village
 * Hindustan
 * Hoosier Acres
 * Kirby
 * Kirksville
 * Knight Ridge
 * Lancaster Park
 * Leonard Springs
 * Marlin Hills
 * Modesto
 * Mount Tabor
 * New Unionville
 * Ridgemede
 * Sanders
 * Smithville
 * Stanford
 * Sunny Slopes
 * Unionville
 * Van Buren Park
 * Victor
 * Wayport
 * West Brook Downs
 * Woodbridge
 * Woodville Hills
 * Yellowstone

Former communities

 * Paynetown at 39.0749°N, -86.4296°W - flooded by Lake Monroe

Townships

 * Bean Blossom
 * Benton
 * Bloomington
 * Clear Creek
 * Indian Creek
 * Perry
 * Polk
 * Richland
 * Salt Creek
 * Van Buren
 * Washington

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Bloomington have ranged from a low of 19 °F in January to a high of 86 °F in July, although a record low of -21 °F was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 110 °F was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.66 in in January to 5.12 in in May.

Government and politics
The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code.

County Council: The fiscal body of the county government; controls spending and revenue collection in the county. There are four elected members representing districts and three members elected at-large. The council members serve staggered four-year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.

Board of Commissioners: A three-member board serving as the executive and legislative body of the county. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered four-year terms. The president of this board is the county's principal executive officer. The commissioners are charged with setting policy and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.

Court: The county maintains a unified circuit court with nine divisions and a court commissioner who handles civil cases. Judges must be members of the Indiana Bar Association; they are elected to six-year terms. Some court decisions can be appealed to the state level (appeals court, state supreme court).

County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, assessor, and circuit court clerk. They are elected county-wide to four-year terms. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.

Monroe County is part of Indiana's 9th congressional district and is represented in Congress Republican Trey Hollingsworth. It is part of Indiana Senate districts 37, 40 and 44; and Indiana House of Representatives districts 46, 60 and 61.

Courthouse
The Monroe County Courthouse is the seat of government for Monroe County and is the traditional center of Bloomington. The third courthouse to stand on the Downtown Square, the current courthouse was built in 1907 during a time of great prosperity. Wing & Mahurin designed the building.

Politics
Monroe County traditionally leaned Republican. However, like many counties with large universities, it has trended strongly towards Democrats in recent years, voting for the Democratic nominee in 7 out of the last 8 presidential elections. In 2008, Barack Obama turned in the strongest showing for a Democrat since 1888. It has gone Democratic by large margins since then, and is now considered one of the few reliably Democratic counties in traditionally Republican Indiana. In recent years, only Marion County (Indianapolis) has been more Democratic.

Education
Monroe County Public Library operates branches at Bloomington and Ellettsville.

Monroe County is home to Indiana University Bloomington.

Major highways

 * [[Image:indiana 37.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 37
 * [[Image:indiana 45.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 45
 * [[Image:indiana 46.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 46
 * [[Image:indiana 48.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 48
 * [[Image:indiana 446.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 446
 * [[Image:indiana 446.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 446

For many years Monroe County was one of the most populous counties in the USA which did not contain any US highways or Interstate highways. However, in December 2015 the I-69 extension was completed into the county and this distinction disappeared. The highway was further extended north into Morgan County in 2018.

Railways
Although Monroe County has a rich railway history, currently its only railway is the Indiana Rail Road, whose mainline crosses the county from the north-east to the south-west, with branches to a few industrial facilities. There is no passenger service.

Between 1854 and 2004, an important north–south line connecting the Ohio River with Lake Michigan crossed Monroe County as well, serving Stinesville, Elletsville, Bloomington, Smithville, and Harrodsburg. It was operated by the Monon Railroad throughout much of the 20th century, and later by CSX. The last passenger service operating on this line was Amtrak's Floridian Chicago-Miami service, during 1972–1979. With the termination of this service in 1979, Monroe County lost passenger railway service. CSX continued to use this line for freight for another quarter of a century, but in 2004, it stopped using this line. Large parts of it have since been converted to trails.

Air transport

 * Monroe County Airport, southwest of Bloomington. Scheduled passenger service to this airport was terminated ca. 1997, and since then the airport has been used by general aviation only.

title: Monroe County, Indiana


text:
Miami County, Indiana

Miami County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 35,962. The county seat is the City of Peru. Miami County is part of the Kokomo-Peru CSA.

History
Indiana became a state on December 11, 1816, after being Indiana Territory for sixteen years. Originally, Indiana was part of the Northwest Territory, which was made up of land gained by the British after the French and Indian War and organized into a territory after the American Revolution. It was after the revolution that settlement in the area by Europeans really began. Knox territory was created in 1790 and included all of present-day Indiana and areas of Illinois. Ancestry's Red Book notes that jurisdiction in Knox territory changed due to Indian uprisings in the area from 1790 to 1810. In 1800, Indiana became the name of a territory. Parts of Michigan and Illinois both broke away from the territory before it became a state in 1816.

Miami County was formed in 1832 from Cass County and unorganized land. It was named for the Miami, a Native American people, many of whom still live in this area. In 1834, Miami County widened its western border taking some area from Cass County. In 1838 a small portion of unorganized territory was added to the northeastern border, but in 1844 that area was lost to Fulton County. Miami County has been its present shape since 1844.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 377.39 sqmi, of which 373.84 sqmi (or 99.06%) is land and 3.55 sqmi (or 0.94%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Fulton County (north)
 * Wabash County (east)
 * Grant County (southeast)
 * Howard County (south)
 * Cass County (west)

Major highways

 * US 24.svg U.S. Route 24
 * US 31.svg U.S. Route 31
 * indiana 16.svg State Road 16
 * indiana 18.svg State Road 18
 * indiana 19.svg State Road 19
 * indiana 124.svg State Road 124
 * indiana 218.svg State Road 218

City

 * Peru

Towns

 * Amboy
 * Bunker Hill
 * Converse
 * Denver
 * Macy

Census-designated places

 * Grissom AFB
 * Mexico

Other unincorporated places

 * Bennetts Switch
 * Birmingham
 * Chili
 * Courter
 * Deedsville
 * Doyle
 * Erie
 * Flora
 * Gilead
 * Loree
 * McGrawsville
 * Miami
 * Nead
 * New Santa Fe
 * North Grove
 * Oakdale
 * Oakley
 * Park View Heights
 * Peoria
 * Perrysburg
 * Pettysville
 * Santa Fe
 * South Peru
 * Stockdale
 * Wawpecong
 * Wells

Extinct

 * Anson
 * Brownell
 * Busaco
 * Cary
 * Five Corners
 * Hooversburg
 * Leonda
 * Niconza
 * Paw Paw
 * Snow Hill
 * Stringtown
 * Wagoner
 * Wooleytown

Townships

 * Allen Township
 * Butler Township
 * Clay Township
 * Deer Creek Township
 * Erie Township
 * Harrison Township
 * Jackson Township
 * Jefferson Township
 * Perry Township
 * Peru Township
 * Pipe Creek Township
 * Richland Township
 * Union Township
 * Washington Township

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Peru have ranged from a low of 14 °F in January to a high of 83 °F in July, although a record low of -24 °F was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 103 °F was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.89 in in February to 4.23 in in June.

Government
The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code.

County Council: The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.

Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.

Court: The county maintains a small claims court that can handle some civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.

County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.

Miami County is part of Indiana's 2nd congressional district; Indiana Senate district 18; and Indiana House of Representatives districts 23, 24 and 32.

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 36,903 people, 13,456 households, and 9,330 families residing in the county. The population density was 98.7 PD/sqmi. There were 15,479 housing units at an average density of 41.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 91.8% white, 4.5% black or African American, 0.9% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.2% were German, 17.3% were American, 12.0% were Irish, and 8.4% were English.

Of the 13,456 households, 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.7% were non-families, and 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age was 39.5 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $49,282. Males had a median income of $40,038 versus $26,011 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,854. About 13.0% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.6% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

Major employers of Miami County include: Ferrellgas (Peru ) Schneider Electric Square D (Peru ) Miami Correctional Facility (Bunker Hill ) Indiana Correction Dept (Bunker Hill ) Armour-Eckrich Meats (Peru ) American Stationery Co (Peru ) http://www.americanstationery.com Dukes Memorial Hospital (Peru ) http://www.dukesmemorialhosp.com Miami County (Peru ) Bryan Steam LLC (Peru ) http://www.bryanboilers.com Snavely Machine & Mfg Co Inc (Peru )

title: Miami County, Indiana


text:
Martin County, Indiana

Martin County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 9,812. The county seat is Shoals at the center of the county, and the county's only incorporated city is Loogootee, on the county's western border.

History
The Indiana Territory achieved statehood near the end of 1816. Shortly thereafter, the new State legislature created Dubois (December 1817) and Daviess (February 1818) counties. Due to the inflow of settlers into southwest Indiana, and the difficulty of accessing the county seats of those counties, Martin County was partitioned off from parts of those counties, being authorized on January 20, 1820. It was named for Maj. John T. Martin of Newport, Kentucky.

Geography
The hills of Martin County are largely wooded and cut with drainages; the available area is devoted to agriculture, development, or is under control of the US Government - about a third of the county belongs to the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division, and about a quarter of the county belongs to Hoosier National Forest. The highest point (870 ft ASL) is in Mitcheltree Township, within NSA Crane.

The East Fork of the White River flows southwestward through the lower part of the county. The central part of the county is drained by Indian Creek, which discharges into White River near the center of the county. The upper part of the county is drained by Boggs Creek, which discharges into White River near the county's western edge.

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 340.41 sqmi, of which 335.74 sqmi (or 98.63%) is land and 4.67 sqmi (or 1.37%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Greene County - north
 * Lawrence County - east
 * Orange County - southeast
 * Dubois County - south
 * Daviess County - west

Protected areas

 * Hoosier National Forest (part) in northeast and southeast parts of Martin County. Administered by US Forest Service
 * Martin State Forest - in eastern part of Martin County. Administered by Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Lakes

 * Greenwood Lake
 * Seed Tick Lake
 * West Boggs Lake (part)

Highways

 * [[Image:US 50.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 50
 * [[Image:US 150.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 150
 * [[Image:US 231.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 231
 * [[Image:indiana 450.svg|20px]] State Road 450
 * [[Image:indiana 550.svg|20px]] State Road 550
 * [[Image:indiana 650.svg|20px]] State Road 650

City and towns

 * Crane
 * Loogootee (city)
 * Shoals

Unincorporated communities

 * Bramble
 * Burns City (census-designated place)
 * Cale
 * Dover Hill (census-designated place)
 * Hindostan Falls
 * Indian Springs
 * Ironton
 * Lacy
 * Mount Olive
 * Mount Pleasant
 * Natchez
 * Padanaram
 * Pleasant Valley
 * Rusk
 * Scenic Hill
 * Shoals Overlook
 * South Martin
 * Trinity Springs
 * Whitfield
 * Willow Valley
 * Windom
 * Yenne

Townships

 * Center
 * Halbert
 * Lost River
 * Mitcheltree
 * Perry
 * Rutherford

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Shoals have ranged from a low of 19 °F in January to a high of 86 °F in July, although a record low of -23 °F was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 104 °F was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.92 in in February to 5.60 in in May.

Government
The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code.

County Council: The legislative branch of the county government; controls spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected to four-year terms from county districts. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.

Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county; commissioners are elected county-wide to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute the acts legislated by the council, collect revenue, and manage the county government.

Court: The county maintains a small claims court that handles civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.

County Officials: The county has other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. Officers are elected to four-year terms. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.

Martin County is part of Indiana's 8th congressional district; Indiana Senate district 39; and Indiana House of Representatives districts 62 and 63.

2010 Census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 10,334 people, 4,216 households, and 2,832 families in the county. The population density was 30.8 PD/sqmi. There were 4,786 housing units at an average density of 14.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.4% white, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.2% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.8% were German, 19.2% were Irish, 14.9% were English, and 12.7% were American.

Of the 4,216 households, 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.8% were non-families, and 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age was 41.8 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $55,017. Males had a median income of $41,411 versus $30,503 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,750. About 8.6% of families and 13.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.2% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.

title: Martin County, Indiana


text:
Marshall County, Indiana

Marshall County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. The 2020 census recorded the population at 46,095. The county seat (and only city) is Plymouth.

History
The Indiana State Legislature passed an omnibus county bill on February 7, 1835, that authorized the creation of thirteen counties in northeast Indiana, including Marshall. It was named for U.S. Chief Justice John Marshall, who died in 1835. The government of the county was organized in 1836, during the early years of settlement and before the forced removal of the Potawatomi people in 1838. The first settlers had arrived in the county in 1835; they arrived as a result of the end of the Black Hawk War as well as the completion of the Erie Canal. They consisted primarily of settlers from New England, "Yankees" descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the colonial era. They were mainly members of the Congregational Church, although due to the Second Great Awakening many of them had converted to Methodism and some had become Baptists before migrating to the new area. As a result of this heritage, some place names in Marshall County are named after places in New England, such as Plymouth, which is named after Plymouth, Massachusetts, the site where the Mayflower landed in 1620.

Geography
The low, rolling hills of Marshall County are completely devoted to agriculture where possible (significant drainages are wooded). The highest points on the terrain are three approximately equal swells (900 ft ASL) along the south border line with Fulton County, 1.4 mi NW of Richland Center.

Marshall County contains three significant bodies of water: Lake of the Woods (NE portion); Lake Maxinkuckee (SW portion); and part of Koontz Lake (NW portion). The Yellow River flows through northern, central, and western portions of Marshall County, past Plymouth; the Tippecanoe River flows southwesterly through the SE part of the county.

According to the 2010 census, Marshall County has a total area of 449.74 sqmi, of which 443.63 sqmi (or 98.64%) is land and 6.11 sqmi (or 1.36%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * St. Joseph County - north
 * Elkhart County - northeast
 * Kosciusko County - east
 * Fulton County - south
 * Pulaski County - southwest
 * Starke County - west/CST Border

Protected areas

 * Menominee Wetland Conservation Area (W of Plymouth)
 * Potawatomi Wildlife Park (on W bank of Tippecanoe River in SE county)

City and towns

 * Argos
 * Bourbon
 * Bremen
 * Culver
 * Lapaz
 * Plymouth (city)

Census-designated place

 * Koontz Lake (partial)

Unincorporated communities

 * Burr Oak
 * Donaldson
 * Harris
 * Hibbard
 * Inwood (called "Pearson" 1854–1856)
 * Maxinkuckee
 * Old Tip Town
 * Teegarden
 * Tippecanoe
 * Tyner
 * Walnut

Townships

 * Bourbon
 * Center
 * German
 * Green
 * North
 * Polk
 * Tippecanoe
 * Union
 * Walnut
 * West

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Plymouth have ranged from a low of 16 °F in January to a high of 86 °F in July, although a record low of -25 °F was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 109 °F was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.86 in in February to 4.48 in in June.

Government
The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code.

County council: The legislative branch of the county government; controls spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected to four-year terms from county districts. They set salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.

Board of commissioners: The executive body of the county; commissioners are elected county-wide, to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute acts legislated by the council, collect revenue, and manage the functions of the county government.

Current commissioners: Stan Klotz, Mike Burroughs, Kevin Overmyer (as of July 2020)

Court: The county maintains a small claims court that handles civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.

County Officials: The county has other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. Officials are elected to four-year terms. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.

Marshall County is part of Indiana's 2nd congressional district and is currently represented by Rudy Yakym in the United States Congress. It is also part of Indiana Senate districts 5 and 9 and Indiana House of Representatives districts 17 and 23.

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 47,051 people, 17,406 households, and 12,516 families in the county. The population density was 106.1 PD/sqmi. There were 19,845 housing units at an average density of 44.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 93.5% white, 0.5% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 3.8% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 35.4% were German, 11.2% were Irish, 9.4% were American, and 8.5% were English.

Of the 17,406 households, 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.2% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.1% were non-families, and 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.15. The median age was 38.4 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $58,017. Males had a median income of $43,732 versus $30,033 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,493. About 8.7% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

title: Marshall County, Indiana


text:
Marion County, Indiana

Marion County is located in the U.S. state of Indiana. The 2020 United States census reported a population of 977,203, making it the 54th-most populous county in the U.S., the most populous county in the state, and the main population center of the 11-county Indianapolis–Carmel–Greenwood MSA in central Indiana. Indianapolis is the county seat, the state capital, and most populous city. Marion County is consolidated with Indianapolis through an arrangement known as Unigov.

Geography
The low rolling hills of Marion County have been cleared of trees, and the area is completely devoted to municipal development or to agriculture, except for wooded drainages. The highest point (920 ft ASL) is a small ridge at the county's northwest corner.

According to the 2010 census, the county has an area of 403.01 sqmi, of which 396.30 sqmi (or 98.34%) is land and 6.71 sqmi (or 1.66%) is water.

The White River flows southwestward through the central part of the county; it is joined by Eagle Creek and Fall Creek, both of which have dams in the county forming Eagle Creek Reservoir and Geist Reservoir, respectively.

Marion County has two Indiana State Parks, Fort Harrison State Park and White River State Park, as well as many municipal parks.

Adjacent counties

 * Hamilton County - north
 * Hancock County - east
 * Shelby County - southeast
 * Johnson County - south
 * Morgan County - southwest
 * Hendricks County - west
 * Boone County - northwest

Major highways

* I-69 currently ends in Indianapolis at the I-465 interchange in the northeast section of the county. The extension connecting Indianapolis and Evansville is expected to be completed in 2024.

Transit

 * Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority
 * IndyGo Red Line
 * Indianapolis Union Station
 * Amtrak Cardinal
 * Barons Bus Lines
 * Burlington Trailways
 * Flixbus
 * Greyhound Lines
 * Miller Transportation

Airports

 * KIND - Indianapolis International Airport
 * KEYE - Eagle Creek Airpark
 * Post-Air Airport

History
Marion County was created on April 1, 1822, from part of the "New Purchase" lands that had been obtained from its inhabitants, the Lenape, by the Treaty of St. Mary's. It is named for Francis Marion, a brigadier general from South Carolina in the American Revolutionary War.

The state capital was moved to Indianapolis in Marion County from Corydon on January 10, 1825. This began a period of rapid growth in population.

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Indianapolis have ranged from a low of 20 °F in January to a high of 86 °F in July, although a record low of -22 °F was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 104 °F was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.05 in in January to 4.78 in in July.

2010 census
As of the 2010 U.S. census, there were 903,393 people, 366,176 households, and 218,338 families in the county. The population density was 2279.6 PD/sqmi. There were 417,862 housing units at an average density of 1054.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 62.7% white, 26.7% black or African American, 2.0% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 5.4% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 9.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 18.9% were German, 11.8% were Irish, 8.4% were English, 6.6% were American, and 5.2% were Subsaharan African.

Of the 366,176 households, 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.9% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 40.4% were non-families, and 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.08. The median age was 33.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $54,142. Males had a median income of $42,215 versus $34,169 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,498. About 13.5% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.7% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns
Marion County has a consolidated city-county government, known as Unigov, in which only four municipalities retain full government autonomy (including a mayor and city council) as "excluded cities". The remaining municipalities within the county are "included towns" and exercise very limited authority, mainly in zoning and appointing their own police departments and maintaining some of their own municipal services and town identities. They retain the ability to levy taxes for these purposes.

Municipalities

 * Indianapolis

Excluded cities and town

 * Beech Grove
 * Lawrence
 * Southport
 * Speedway

Included towns

 * Clermont
 * Crows Nest
 * Cumberland (western portion)
 * Homecroft
 * Meridian Hills
 * North Crows Nest
 * Rocky Ripple
 * Spring Hill
 * Warren Park
 * Williams Creek
 * Wynnedale

Townships
Marion County has nine townships roughly organized into a grid-like, three-by-three pattern. This arrangement can be seen below, with the top being north.

Politics
The northern two-thirds of Marion County is in Indiana's 7th congressional district, which is held by Democrat André Carson. Indiana's 6th congressional district, which runs along the southern third of the county, is held by Republican Greg Pence. The county is represented by 15 seats in the Indiana House of Representatives, 86th through 100th districts, with ten seats held by Democrats and five by Republicans. In the State Senate Marion County is divided among nine districts, which are held by two Democrats and seven Republicans. The Senate districts are numbered 28 through 36.

The Indianapolis City-County Council is the combined legislative body of Indianapolis and Marion County. The consolidated government, known as Unigov, was formally established in 1970 upon the merger of the city government with the county government. The council passes ordinances for the city and county, and makes appointments to certain boards and commissions.

 * County elected officials

 * Mayor (County Executive): Joe Hogsett (D)
 * Auditor: Myla A. Eldrige (D)
 * Clerk: Kate Sweeney Bell (D)
 * Coroner: Dr. Lee Sloan (D)
 * Assessor: Joseph P. O'Connor (D)
 * Prosecutor: Ryan Mears (D)
 * Recorder: Faith Kimbrough (D)
 * Sheriff: Kerry J. Forestal (D)
 * Surveyor: Debra S. Jenkins (D)
 * Treasurer: Barbara A. Lawrence (D)

The Auditor, Assessor, and Treasurer form the county's Board of Commissioners.

For most of the 20th century, Marion County was considered one of the most conservative urban counties in the nation. Between 1896 and 2000, it went Democratic only four times, in the national landslides of 1932, 1936 and 1964 as well as 1912 when Woodrow Wilson won a plurality in the county. The Republican edge began to lessen considerably in the 1990s, and in 2004 John Kerry became the first Democrat since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 to carry the county. The trend continued in 2008 and 2012 with Barack Obama showing strongly in Marion County, winning 63% and 60% of the vote respectively. Hillary Clinton won it with 58 percent in 2016, and Joe Biden took 63 percent in 2020. Biden's 247,772 votes is the highest number of votes a candidate has ever received in the county. It is now one of the few Democratic bastions in traditionally heavily Republican central Indiana.

The six northern and central townships lean more Democratic, especially Center Township containing Downtown Indianapolis, and Pike Township in the northwestern corner with an African-American majority. In contrast, the three less populated southern townships with a higher Caucasian population (Decatur, Perry and Franklin) lean more Republican.

Education
School districts include:
 * Beech Grove City Schools
 * Decatur Township Metropolitan School District
 * Franklin Township Community School Corporation
 * Indianapolis Public Schools
 * Lawrence Township Metropolitan School District
 * Perry Township Metropolitan School District
 * Pike Township Metropolitan School District
 * Speedway School Town
 * Warren Township Metropolitan School District
 * Washington Township Metropolitan School District
 * Wayne Township Metropolitan School District

It also has the following state-operated schools:
 * Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
 * Indiana School for the Deaf

title: Marion County, Indiana


text:
Madison County, Indiana

Madison County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. The 2020 census states the population is standing at 130,129. The county seat since 1836 has been Anderson, one of three incorporated cities within the county.

Madison County is included in the Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
In 1787, the fledgling United States defined the Northwest Territory, which included the area of present-day Indiana. In 1800, Congress separated Ohio from the Northwest Territory, designating the rest of the land as the Indiana Territory. President Thomas Jefferson chose William Henry Harrison as the territory's first governor, and Vincennes was established as the territorial capital. After the Michigan Territory was separated and the Illinois Territory was formed, Indiana was reduced to its current size and geography. By December 1816 the Indiana Territory was admitted to the Union as a state.

Starting in 1794, Native American titles to Indiana lands were extinguished by usurpation, purchase, or war and treaty. The United States acquired land from the Native Americans in the 1809 treaty of Fort Wayne, and by the treaty of St. Mary's in 1818 considerably more territory became property of the government. This included the future Madison County, which was authorized by the state legislature on January 4, 1823, designating areas covered by the Delaware New Purchase. No settler was allowed in the area until the government survey was completed in 1820, and in 1820 the first settlers entered the future county.

The new county was named for James Madison, co-author of The Federalist Papers and the fourth President of the United States (1809 to 1817). The then-small settlement of Pendleton was named as the county, but its non-central location soon fostered a desire for a more central location as the county seat. After considerable local competition, the town of Anderson was platted in 1827 on donated land with the stipulation that the seat be moved to that location. This move began in 1828 and was completed by 1836.

The new county was completely wooded in 1820, with stands of white oak, poplar, walnut, sycamore, oak, and fir trees. The settlers logged much of the area and cleared the remainder through burning; at present its terrain is completely devoted to agriculture or urban development, except for stands of brush in drainages.

The county's first courthouse was authorized in the county's 1828 session, but this authorization was revoked in 1829. In 1831 a second authorization was passed, and the completed building was placed in service the following year.

During the Indiana gas boom, natural gas deposits were discovered in the county in 1887, at Alexandria, and Anderson. The offer of free natural gas brought several factories to the county.

Geography
The county's terrain is nearly flat, with the exception of hilly areas along the White River and Fall Creek. The highest terrain (around 1,010 ft ASL) is a ridgeline at the county's SE corner. The county is drained by the west branch of the White River, flowing west-southwestward through the county's lower central portion. Other drainages include Fall Creek, flowing west- and southwestward through the southern part of the county; Pipe Creek, which rises in Delaware County and flows southwestward through the county's NW corner; and Lick Creek, which rises in Henry County and flows westward through the county's SW portion.

According to the 2010 United States Census, the county has a total area of 452.90 sqmi, of which 451.92 sqmi (or 99.78%) is land and 0.99 sqmi (or 0.22%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Grant County - north
 * Delaware County - east
 * Henry County - southeast
 * Hancock County - south
 * Hamilton County - west
 * Tipton County - northwest

Protected areas

 * Mounds State Park

Cities

 * Alexandria
 * Anderson (county seat)
 * Elwood (part)

Towns

 * Chesterfield
 * Country Club Heights
 * Edgewood
 * Frankton
 * Ingalls
 * Lapel
 * Markleville
 * Orestes
 * Pendleton
 * River Forest
 * Summitville

Unincorporated towns

 * Alfont
 * Alliance
 * Bloomer
 * College Corner
 * Dundee
 * Edgewood Village
 * Emporia
 * Fishersburg
 * Florida
 * Gimco City
 * Hamilton
 * Hardscrabble
 * Huntsville
 * Idlewold
 * Leisure
 * Linwood
 * Moonville
 * North Anderson
 * Ovid (also known as New Columbus)
 * Perkinsville
 * Prosperity
 * Rigdon
 * South Elwood
 * Sunview
 * Woodlawn Heights

Townships

 * Adams
 * Anderson
 * Boone
 * Duck Creek
 * Fall Creek
 * Green
 * Jackson
 * Lafayette
 * Monroe
 * Pipe Creek
 * Richland
 * Stony Creek
 * Union
 * Van Buren

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-69.svg|20px]] Interstate 69
 * [[Image:US 36.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 36
 * [[Image:indiana 9.svg|20px]] State Road 9
 * [[Image:indiana 13.svg|20px]] State Road 13
 * [[Image:indiana 28.svg|20px]] State Road 28
 * [[Image:indiana 32.svg|20px]] State Road 32
 * [[Image:indiana 37.svg|20px]] State Road 37
 * [[Image:indiana 38.svg|20px]] State Road 38
 * [[Image:indiana 67.svg|20px]] State Road 67
 * [[Image:indiana 109.svg|20px]] State Road 109
 * [[Image:indiana 128.svg|20px]] State Road 128
 * [[Image:indiana 232.svg|20px]] State Road 232
 * [[Image:indiana 236.svg|20px]] State Road 236

Railroads

 * Central Indiana and Western Railroad
 * CSX Transportation
 * Indian Creek Railroad
 * Norfolk Southern Railway

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Anderson have ranged from a low of 18 °F in January to a high of 84 °F in July, although a record low of -24 °F was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 105 °F was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.09 in in January to 4.28 in in July.

Government

The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code.

County Council: The legislative branch of the county government; controls spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected to four-year terms from county districts. They set salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.

Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county; commissioners are elected county-wide to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute acts legislated by the council, collect revenue, and manage the county government.

Court: The county maintains a small claims court that handles civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.

County Officials: The county has other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. These officers are elected to four-year terms. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.

Madison County is part of Indiana's 5th congressional district; Indiana Senate districts 20, 25 and 26; and Indiana House of Representatives districts 35, 36 and 37.

2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 131,636 people, 51,927 households, and 34,319 families in the county. The population density was 291.3 PD/sqmi. There were 59,068 housing units at an average density of 130.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 87.7% white, 8.3% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.5% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 21.5% were German, 12.5% were American, 11.5% were Irish, and 10.4% were English.

Of the 51,927 households, 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.9% were non-families, and 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.93. The median age was 39.2 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $53,906. Males had a median income of $41,834 versus $31,743 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,722. About 11.2% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.6% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education
School districts include:
 * Alexandria Community School Corporation
 * Anderson Community School Corporation
 * Elwood Community School Corporation
 * Frankton-Lapel Community Schools
 * Madison-Grant United School Corporation
 * South Madison Community School Corporation

title: Madison County, Indiana


text:
Lawrence County, Indiana

Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 45,011. The county seat is Bedford. Lawrence County comprises the Bedford, IN Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Until the Battle of Tippecanoe, the general area of Lawrence County was populated primarily by Native Americans. The first trace of white settlement in Lawrence County was near Leesville; however, Bono was the first white settlement in the county. Lawrence County was formed in 1818 by subdividing Orange County. The English name refers to Captain James Lawrence, who uttered the famous words "Don't give up the ship." after being mortally wounded during the War of 1812. Prior to Lawrence County's creation, it was organized as "Leatherwood Township." On March 11, 1818, the county commissioners Ambrose Carlton, Thomas Beagley, and James Stotts, met at the home of James Gregory. On the third day of this session, the commissioners proceeded to divide the county into two civil townships: Shawswick and Spice Valley. Early in 1819, the board adopted a seal for Lawrence County, which was designed with a harp, a plow, three sheaves of weat, a pair of scales, and a weathercock on top. The first county seat of Lawrence County was located at Palestine, situated on a high bluff near the East Fork of the White River. 276 lots were laid out in Palestine, which were advertised for sale on May 25, 1818. Steps were immediately taken to build a courthouse and a jail. The first courthouse of the county was log and erected in the spring of 1818. This courthouse was temporary, and steps to construct a permanent courthouse began in November 1818. It was first designed in octagonal form, with brick walls, a stone foundation, with 45 windows and to be two stories tall. The courthouse was finished in the autumn of 1821, at a total cost of $5,500 (1821 USD). After much disease, and a tornado that swept through the area in 1820, the county approved the relocation of the county seat on February 9, 1825. The name "Bedford" was selected for the new county seat by Joseph Rawlins, a local businessman, after Bedford County, Virginia. The town was laid out on March 30, 1825, and current residents of Palestine were offered a lot in Bedford. The county records were hauled from Palestine to Bedford by Richard Evans. In early 1825, a temporary log courthouse was erected at Bedford. In 1831, the board of commissioners took up the matter of building a more suitable courthouse and advertised bids for a courthouse similar to the one at Salem in May, and there obtained complete plans of that structure. The old buildings at Palestine were sold, and the proceeds were to be used in the construction of the new building. The building was finished in May 1834. A fourth courthouse was built in 1872. The fifth and current courthouse was built in 1930. Perry Township was created in May 1822, and Indian Creek Township was extended south to the river. Around the same time, Flinn Township was created. On January 23, 1826, Marion Township was created, followed by Marshall Township in June 1855. In March 1866, 180 residents petitioned for a new township, called "Morton", to be formed out of Shawswick, Bono, and Flinn, but after much thought was named Guthrie Township after an old pioneer family of the county. On January 1, 1911, Flinn Township was annexed by Shawswick, Guthrie, and Pleasant Run Townships, after the county commissioners meeting a month prior.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 451.93 sqmi, of which 449.17 sqmi (or 99.39%) is land and 2.76 sqmi (or 0.61%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Monroe County (north)
 * Jackson County (east)
 * Washington County (southeast)
 * Orange County (south)
 * Martin County (west)
 * Greene County (northwest)

Major highways

 * [[Image:US 50.svg|25px]] U.S. Route 50
 * [[Image:indiana 37.svg|25px]] State Road 37
 * [[Image:indiana 54.svg|25px]] State Road 54
 * [[Image:indiana 58.svg|25px]] State Road 58
 * [[Image:indiana 60.svg|25px]] State Road 60
 * [[Image:indiana 158.svg|25px]] State Road 158
 * [[Image:indiana 446.svg|25px]] State Road 446
 * [[Image:indiana 450.svg|25px]] State Road 450
 * [[Image:indiana 458.svg|25px]] State Road 458

National protected area

 * Hoosier National Forest (part)

Cities and Towns
• Bedford

• Mitchell

• Oolitic

Census-designated places

 * Avoca
 * Williams

Unincorporated communities
• Bartlettsville

• Bono

• Bryantsville

• Buddha

• Coveyville

• Coxton

• East Oolitic – (previously known as Spien Kopj)

• Erie

• Eureka

• Fayetteville

• Fort Ritner

• Georgia

• Guthrie

• Hartleyville

• Heltonville

• Huron

• Judah

• Lawrenceport

• Leesville

• Logan

• Moorestown

• Murdock

• Needmore

• Patton Hill

• Peerless

• Pinhook

• Popcorn

• Rabbitville

• Red Hill

• Redding

• Rivervale

• Shawswick

• Silverville

• Spring Mill Village

• Springville

• Stemm

• Stonington

• Tarry Park

• Tunnelton

• Yockey

• Zelma

Former communities
• Armstrong

• Beck's

• Bottomville

• Burton

• Caseyville

• Cross Lanes

• Dark Hollow

• Deal

• Dixonville

• Dodd

• Dog Fennel

• Fairview

• Fishing Creek

• Five Points

• Flatwood Hollow

• Genoda

• Goat Run

• Goosetown

• Grayson

• Grindstone Hollow

• Heathen Bend

• Hog Holler

• Horseshoe Bend

• Jones' Defeat

• Jugtown

• Kentucky Hollow

• Leatherwood

• Liberty

• Lickskillet

• Lookout

• Marysville

• Maul Ridge

• Miles Standish

• Morgiana

• Opposition

• Palestine

• Pattonville

• Paul

• Reed's Station

• Rockledge

• Sand Pit

• Scottville

• Sinking Spring

• Speed Hollow

• Stringtown

• Sunset

• Torphytown

• Wolf Creek

Townships
• Bono

• Guthrie

• Indian Creek

• Marion

• Marshall

• Perry

• Pleasant Run

• Shawswick

• Spice Valley

Local sights

 * Joe Palooka Statue – a statue of a comic strip character Joe Palooka, dedicated in 1948, is located near the town hall in Oolitic.
 * Spring Mill State Park is located near Mitchell

Astronauts
Lawrence County has had several native residents that have become astronauts over the years. They include:
 * Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom was born and raised in Mitchell; was killed in the Apollo 1 accident
 * Charles "Charlie" Walker was born and raised in Bedford.
 * Kenneth "Kenny" Bowersox was born in Virginia but was raised in Bedford

The Virgil I. Gus Grissom Memorial, located at the Spring Mill State Park near Mitchell, has many mementos of his career, including the space capsule he commanded, "The Molly Brown" from Gemini 3.

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Bedford have ranged from a low of 18 °F in January to a high of 86 °F in July, although a record low of -29 °F was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 111 °F was recorded in July 1930. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.70 in in February to 5.04 in in May.

Government
The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code.

County Council: The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.

Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.

Court: The county maintains a small claims court that can handle some civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.

County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.

Lawrence County is part of Indiana's 9th congressional district; Indiana Senate district 44; and Indiana House of Representatives districts 65 and 73.

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 46,134 people, 18,811 households, and 12,906 families residing in the county. The population density was 102.7 PD/sqmi. There were 21,074 housing units at an average density of 46.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 97.3% white, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% black or African American, 0.3% American Indian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 18.4% were German, 14.6% were Irish, 13.1% were American, and 10.4% were English.

Of the 18,811 households, 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.4% were non-families, and 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age was 41.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $50,355. Males had a median income of $42,337 versus $30,386 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,352. About 10.9% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.4% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.

title: Lawrence County, Indiana


text:
LaPorte County, Indiana

LaPorte County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 112,417. The county seat is the city of La Porte, and the largest city is Michigan City. This county is part of the Northwest Indiana and Michiana regions of the Chicago metropolitan area. The LaPorte County Courthouse is located in the county seat of La Porte and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History
LaPorte County was formed in 1832. La porte means "the door" or "the port" in French. French travelers or explorers so named the area after discovering a natural opening in the dense forests that used to exist in this region, providing a gateway to lands further west.

From 1832 to 1835 LaPorte County had its boundaries and jurisdiction of the land west of it going all the way to the east border of Chicago in Cook County, IL (land which is now Porter and Lake Counties).

Before European-American settlement, all of the land that forms modern-day LaPorte County, and adjacent Starke County to the south belonged to the Potawatomi Indian nation. These Indians were forcibly removed to Kansas by the United States government in 1838, and many died on what survivors called the Trail of Death.

LaPorte County's initial European-American settlers were Yankee migrants, that is to say they were from New England or were from upstate New York and had parents who were from New England, and were descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the colonial era. They were part of a wave of New England settlers moving west into what was then the Northwest Territory after the completion of the Erie Canal through the Mohawk Valley of New York State.

These first settlers in LaPorte County specifically hailed from the Massachusetts towns of Granville, Boston, Bridgewater, West Bridgewater, Andover, Nantucket Island, and Hampshire County; the Connecticut towns of Colchester, Wethersfield, Granby, and New Haven; the New Hampshire towns of Bradford, Amherst and Goffstown; the Vermont villages of Dorset, Albany and Fairfax; many also came from Orange County, Vermont, Caledonia County, Vermont and Penobscot County, Maine. They were mainly members of the Congregational Church. As result of the Second Great Awakening, many became Baptists and many also converted to Pentecostalism and Methodism. When they arrived in what is now LaPorte County, there was nothing but virgin forest and prairie. The New England settlers cleared roads and brush, developed farms, constructed churches, erected government buildings, and established post routes. As a result of this migration, La Porte County was partially culturally continuous with early New England culture for many years.

But by 1850, the three Eastern states that had contributed the most residents to LaPorte County were New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, surpassing those migrants from New England. LaPorte County had the largest number of Southerners north of the Wabash Valley.

During the Civil War, the Louisville Journal noted that the 29th Indiana Regiment (mustered out of LaPorte) "may almost be regarded as a Kentucky regiment for a large majority of its members are either natives or descendants of native Kentuckians". Three Union Camps reigned in LaPorte County helping the Union to Civil War victory.

When the county was initially proposed and organized, its boundaries did not extend as far south or east as they do today. A section of land north of the Kankakee River originally belonged to Starke County. However, residents living in that area had difficulty crossing the river in order to reach the rest of the county. It was necessary to travel some distance east to Lemon's bridge, before making the journey south. Effectively isolated from the rest of Starke County, these residents asked that their land be annexed to LaPorte County, which was completed on January 28, 1842. Thereafter, the Kankakee River formed the southern boundary of the county. Finally, on January 10, 1850, some twenty sections of land were annexed from St. Joseph County to the east, giving LaPorte County the boundaries that essentially exist to this day.

Whether the correct spelling of the city and county is "La Porte" or "LaPorte" is disputed, although state law refers to "LaPorte County."

LaPorte County is noted for being the place of the Belle Gunness serial murders. Gunness lived on a farm on the outskirts of the county seat.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 613.26 sqmi, of which 598.30 sqmi (or 97.56%) is land and 14.96 sqmi (or 2.44%) is water. The highest point, at 957 ft, is in southwestern Galena Township near County Roads East 600 North and North 150 East. The lowest point, at 581 ft, is along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Adjacent counties

 * Berrien County, Michigan (North/Eastern Time Zone Border)
 * St. Joseph County (East/Eastern Time Zone Border)
 * Starke County (South)
 * Jasper County (Southwest)
 * Porter County (West)
 * Cook County, Illinois(NorthWest) Boundary in Lake Michigan

National protected area

 * Indiana Dunes National Park – also in Lake and Porter counties

Major highways

 * US 6.svg U.S. Route 6
 * US 12.svg U.S. Route 12
 * US 20.svg U.S. Route 20
 * US 30.svg U.S. Route 30
 * US 35.svg U.S. Route 35
 * US 421.svg U.S. Route 421
 * Indiana 2.svg State Road 2
 * Indiana 4.svg State Road 4
 * Indiana 8.svg State Road 8
 * Indiana 39.svg State Road 39
 * Indiana 104.svg State Road 104
 * Indiana 212.svg State Road 212
 * Indiana 104.svg State Road 104
 * Indiana 212.svg State Road 212

Railroads

 * Canadian National Railway
 * Chesapeake and Indiana Railroad
 * Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad
 * Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad
 * CSX Transportation
 * Norfolk Southern Railway
 * South Shore Line (commuter rail)

Municipalities
The municipalities in LaPorte County and their populations as of the 2010 Census:

Cities
• La Porte – 22,053

• Michigan City – 31,479

Towns
• Kingsbury – 242

• Kingsford Heights – 1,435

• LaCrosse – 551

• Long Beach – 1,179

• Michiana Shores – 313

• Pottawattamie Park – 235

• Trail Creek – 2,052

• Wanatah – 1,048

• Westville – 5,853

Census-designated places
• Fish Lake – 1,016

• Hanna – 463

• Hudson Lake – 1,297

• Rolling Prairie – 582

Unincorporated communities
• Alida

• Birchim

• Byron

• Door Village

• Duneland Beach

• Hesston

• Holmesville

• Lake Park

• Mill Creek

• Otis

• Pinhook

• Pinola

• Plainfield

• Riverside

• Salem Heights

• Smith

• South Center

• South Wanatah

• Springfield

• Springville

• Stillwell

• Thomaston

• Tracy

• Union Mills

• Waterford

• Wellsboro

• Wilders

Townships
LaPorte County contains 21 townships, more than any other county in the state. The townships, with their populations as of the 2010 Census, are: • Cass – 1,833

• Center – 25,075

• Clinton – 1,507

• Coolspring – 14,718

• Dewey – 935

• Galena – 1,899

• Hanna – 965

• Hudson – 1,883

• Johnson – 198

• Kankakee – 4,830

• Lincoln – 1,794

• Michigan – 27,522

• New Durham – 8,664

• Noble – 1,625

• Pleasant – 3,380

• Prairie – 209

• Scipio – 4,570

• Springfield – 4,045

• Union – 2,348

• Washington – 1,357

• Wills – 2,110

Unincorporated towns

 * Lakeland

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 111,467 people, 42,331 households, and 28,228 families residing in the county. The population density was 186.3 PD/sqmi. There were 48,448 housing units at an average density of 81.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 84.1% white, 10.8% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 2.0% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 30.7% were German, 15.3% were Irish, 11.5% were Polish, 8.3% were English, and 5.9% were American.

Of the 42,331 households, 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.3% were non-families, and 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age was 39.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $56,679. Males had a median income of $45,537 versus $30,774 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,599. About 9.9% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.7% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

K-12 schools
School districts include:
 * John Glenn School Corporation
 * La Porte Community School Corporation
 * Michigan City Area Schools
 * New Durham Township Metropolitan School District
 * New Prairie United School Corporation
 * South Central Community School Corporation
 * Tri-Township Consolidated School Corporation

Public libraries
The county is served by five different public library systems:
 * LaCrosse Public Library
 * LaPorte County Public Library has its main location in La Porte as well as the Coolspring, Fish Lake, Hanna, Kingsford Heights, Rolling Prairie and Union Mills branches.
 * Michigan City Public Library
 * Wanatah Public Library
 * Westville-New Durham Township Public Library has its main location in Westville.

Hospitals

 * Northwest Health - La Porte, La Porte – 84 beds
 * Franciscan Health Michigan City, Michigan City – 310 beds

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in La Porte have ranged from a low of 12 °F in January to a high of 84 °F in July, although a record low of -28 °F was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of 104 °F was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.68 in in February to 4.79 in in June.

Education
Public schools in LaPorte County are administered by seven different districts:
 * John Glenn School Corporation
 * LaPorte Community School Corporation
 * Metropolitan School District of New Durham Township
 * Michigan City Area Schools
 * New Prairie United School Corporation
 * South Central Community School Corporation
 * Tri-Township Consolidated School Corporation

Colleges and Universities

 * Ivy Tech Community College
 * Purdue University Northwest

Government
The county government is a constitutional body and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code.

County Council: The county council is the fiscal-legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of income and property taxes that are subject to state-level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.

Board of Commissioners: The executive-legislative body of the county is the board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.

Court: The county has five elected trial court judges. They include the LaPorte Circuit Court and Superior Courts one through four. The judges are elected to six-year terms on partisan ballots. Superior Courts three and four maintain small claims dockets. Decisions from any trial court may be appealed to the Indiana Court of Appeals. The Circuit Court and Superior court three are located in the city of La Porte; Superior courts one, two and four are located in Michigan City.

County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.

LaPorte County is split between Indiana's 1st and Indiana's 2nd congressional district and is represented by Rudy Yakym and Frank Mrvan in the United States Congress. It is also part of Indiana Senate districts 5 and 8 and Indiana House of Representatives districts 7, 9, 17 and 20.

County elected officials:

=== Board of Commissioners: ===

 * Richard Mrozinski (R, 1st)
 * Connie Gramarossa (R, 2nd)
 * Joe Haney (R, 3rd)

=== County Council: ===

 * Adam Koronka (R)
 * Justin Kiel(R)
 * Michael Rosenbaum (R)
 * Randall Novak (D)
 * Earl Cunningham (R)
 * Mike Mollenhauer (D)
 * Mark Yagelski (D)

Elected Officials:
 * Assessor: Michael R. Schultz (D)
 * Auditor: Tim Stabosz (R)
 * Clerk: Heather Stevens (R)
 * Coroner: Lynn Swanson (R)
 * Prosecutor: Sean Fagen (R)
 * Recorder: Elzbieta Bilderback (R)
 * Sheriff: Ronald C. Heeg (R)
 * Surveyor: Anthony C. Hendricks (D)
 * Treasurer: Joie Winski (D)

title: LaPorte County, Indiana