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Gibson County, Indiana

Gibson County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 33,011. The county seat is Princeton.

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 1804 Treaty of Vincennes, which included the future Gibson County. Settlers had been pouring into the extreme southwest part of the Indiana Territory starting in 1789, and by 1813 there was sufficient to form a local governing body. The area included in present-day Gibson County had been first placed under the jurisdiction of Knox County, formed in 1790. Parts of that extremely large county were partitioned off in 1801 to create Clark, in 1808 to create Harrison, in 1810 to create Jefferson and Wayne, and in 1811 to create Franklin counties. On April 1, 1813, the Territorial legislature authorized partitioning a further large section of Knox to create Gibson County. The boundaries of this new county were reduced that same month (April 30, 1813) to create Warrick; in 1814 to create Perry and Posey; in 1816 to create Pike; and finally in 1818 to create Vanderburgh counties.

The first white settler of the future Gibson County was John Severns, a native of Wales who had come with his parents to North America several years before the Revolutionary War. He settled in Gibson County in 1789–90 on the south bank of the Patoka River at a place now known as Severns Bridge. Another early Gibson County settler was William Hargrove, who came from Kentucky by pack mule in 1803; Captain Hargrove commanded a company of militia from Gibson County at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.

The Rev. Joseph Milburn and his son Robert also arrived in 1803. They settled near Princeton, between the Patoka and White Rivers. The Milburns were from the area of Washington County, Kentucky. Rev. Milburn, a Baptist, established the first church; Robert established the first distillery in Indiana.

In 1805, Jacob Warrick arrived, along with his father-in-law, Thomas Montgomery. They burned out the last Native American village in 1807, chasing the inhabitants into the Illinois Territory. Captain Warrick was killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.

Gibson County was named for John Gibson, an officer in the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. Gibson was Secretary of the Indiana Territory, serving as acting Governor on two occasions. The two counties of Gibson County and Warrick County, separated by Rector's Base Line, were formed March 9, 1813. Gibson County was organized on April 1, 1813, while Warrick County was organized on April 30, meaning that both territories fell under Gibson County for that nearly month-long period. Gibson County occupied everything from the Wabash River and from the White River's extension to the Paoli Base Line down the 2d Principal Meridian to the Rector's Base Line. The area south of this line became Warrick County, which covered the area from the 2d Principal Meridian west to the Wabash River and down the Wabash River and with meanders up the Ohio River back to the 2d Principal Meridian (which had separated Knox County from Harrison County, Indiana Territory). Orange County, Spencer County, Pike County, Dubois County, and Crawford County all came from the roughly 2000 sqmi area occupied by the original Gibson County, as well as small portions of Lawrence County, Perry County, Posey County, the current Warrick County, and Vanderburgh County.

When the county was organized, Patoka was intended to be the county seat. However, Patoka's low-lying location along the Patoka River gave rise to a malaria epidemic; to avoid this, the commissioners chose to establish a new town, eventually known as Princeton, on higher ground approximately 4 mi south. However, although Princeton contends it was the only county seat, some contend county records indicate Owensville was a temporary county seat since Princeton was not laid out until late 1814, at least a year after Gibson County's organization.

Abolitionists
Although Indiana was technically a "free state," those assisting runaway slaves were guilty of breaking the law and could be prosecuted and jailed. Despite the legal threats, the Abolitionist movement was strong in Gibson County where many were active in the Underground Railroad, some openly known as Abolitionists such as David Stormont and his wife who maintained a station at their home three miles northwest of Princeton, along with John Carithers who aided runaway slaves at his home east of Princeton, Sarah Merrick, Princeton, was jailed (after she was unable or unwilling to pay her $500 bail) in Gibson County for helping a runaway slave and her children from nearby Henderson, Kentucky (where slavery was legal), to escape to free territory. Reverend Thomas B. McCormick, a Presbyterian minister, was so well known as an Abolitionist that he fled to Canada after the Kentucky governor requested his extradition. Joseph Hartin of Princeton politically identified himself as an Abolitionist. James Washington Cockrum, originally from North Carolina, maintained a station at his home in Oakland City, first hiding runaways in a root cellar at his log cabin. His son William, who later authored History of the Underground railroad as it was conducted by the Anti-slavery league; including many thrilling encounters between those aiding the slaves to escape and those trying to recapture them, aided him helping the runaway slaves. Their family home in Oakland City, known as Cockrum Hall, is located on the grounds of present-day Oakland City University and is recognized as a prominent station on the Underground Railroad.

Geography
Nearly 90% of the county exists within the Ohio River Valley American Viticultural Area along with all of neighboring Posey, Vanderburgh and Warrick counties and a portion of Pike County. Despite being close to Evansville and experiencing a large growth of population in the central areas, Gibson County still remains a largely rural county with half of its townships having populations less than 2,000. Less than 7 percent of the county's 500 sqmi lies within incorporated settlements, or 10 percent if subdivisions are included.

The western part of the county consists largely of spread-out flood-prone farms with spotty marshes along the Wabash and White Rivers. There are rolling hills around Owensville, and large forest and marshland tracts lie near the Gibson Generating Station and the three river settlements of Crawleyville, East Mount Carmel, and Skelton. The northern part is near the White River and is more given to hills and forest. The eastern part contains many hills and is also dotted with strip pits and active coal mines. The southern part is more given to valley and marshland, drained by the Pigeon Creek which flows south through Evansville. The highest point on the terrain (640 ft ASL) is a hill 2 mi north of Princeton.

Even without Interstate 69, the county is within a day's drive of Chicago, Cincinnati, Chattanooga, Columbus, Indianapolis, Louisville, Memphis, Nashville, Springfield, St. Louis, even South Bend, and Fort Wayne despite the lack of freeway connection. There are two major intersections in the southern extremes of the county: the intersection of Interstate 64 and US 41; and the intersection of Interstates 64 and 69, which will eventually link the county and Evansville to Indianapolis and Memphis and make a day trip to even Detroit possible.

The western half of the Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area lies within Gibson County.

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 499.16 sqmi, of which 487.49 sqmi (or 97.66%) is land and 11.68 sqmi (or 2.34%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * White County, Illinois − west
 * Wabash County, Illinois − northwest
 * Knox County − north
 * Pike County − east
 * Warrick County − southeast
 * Vanderburgh County − south
 * Posey County − southwest

Towns (with ZIP codes)

 * Buckskin (47647)
 * Fort Branch (47648)
 * Francisco (47649)
 * Haubstadt (47639)
 * Hazleton (47640)
 * Mackey (47654)
 * Owensville (47665)
 * Patoka (47666)
 * Somerville (47683)

Unincorporated communities

 * Baldwin Heights *
 * Buena Vista (Giro)
 * Crawleyville
 * Calamity
 * Dongola
 * Douglas
 * Durham
 * East Mount Carmel
 * Gray Junction
 * Gudgel
 * Hickory Ridge (Hickory)
 * Johnson
 * Kings Station (Kings)
 * Lyles Station
 * McGary
 * Mount Olympus
 * Mounts
 * Northbrook Hills *
 * Oak Hill
 * Oatsville
 * Port Gibson
 * Saint James
 * Skelton (now under Gibson Lake)
 * Snake Run
 * Warrenton
 * Wheeling (Kirkville)
 * White River

* Baldwin Heights and Northbrook Hills are within the city limits of Princeton.

Townships
Gibson County consists of ten townships:

 * Barton
 * Center
 * Columbia
 * Johnson
 * Montgomery
 * Patoka
 * Union
 * Wabash
 * Washington
 * White River

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Princeton have ranged from a low of 21 °F in January to a high of 88 °F in July, although a record low of -19 °F was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 113 °F was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.90 in in January to 5.11 in in May.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, the population of Gibson County was 33,011.

2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 33,503 people, 13,255 households, and 9,168 families in the county. The population density was 68.7 PD/sqmi. There were 14,645 housing units at an average density of 30.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 95.5% white, 1.8% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 28.3% were German, 24.3% were American, 13.1% were Irish, and 11.7% were English.

Of the 13,255 households, 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.8% were non-families, and 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.98. 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 $61,652. Males had a median income of $43,271 versus $28,424 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,542. About 7.6% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.

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

The county council is the fiscal branch of the county government and 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, including income and property taxes (which are subject to state-level approval), excise taxes, and service taxes.

The Board of Commissioners is the legislative and executive body of the county government. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in 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 two court systems, Circuit Court and Superior Court. Judges are elected to a term of six years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. 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, Assessor, 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.

Gibson County is part of Indiana's 8th congressional district; Indiana Senate districts 48 and 49; and Indiana House of Representatives districts 64, 75 and 76.

Overall Gibson County has been a Republican stronghold in national politics. In contrast, Democrats tend to be strong on county-level politics. Princeton accounts for the majority of consistent Democratic support within the county, whereas outside of Princeton, particularly South Gibson is where the consistent Republican support is found.

2004 snowstorm
In December 2004, a crippling snowstorm dumped over twice the normal annual snowfall in three days. Accumulations averaged 20 inches in Gibson County, with snow drifts reaching over 4 ft in spots and some spots of Gibson County receiving as much as 32 in. Interstate 64 was closed. The Indiana National Guard was dispatched and local farmers were recruited to help stranded motorists.

2005 flood
The White River at Hazleton got as high as 31 ft, almost high enough to overtake US 41, while the Wabash River at Mount Carmel, Illinois rose to 33.95 ft. Extreme flooding occurred throughout the county and high school students from many counties assisted the Indiana National Guard in shoring up levees and sandbagging towns. Hazleton was evacuated because its levee was showing signs of fatigue; however, the levees held. By the end of January 2005, the rivers had receded enough to allow people to return to their homes. Over 100 homes were lost in the flood, which was considered the second-worst flood in the area's history (after the Great Flood of 1913).

2008 earthquake
With a moment magnitude of 5.2 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII, the 2008 Illinois earthquake was one of the largest instrumentally recorded earthquakes in Illinois. It occurred at 4:37:00 a.m. CDT (9:37:00 UTC) on April 18 within the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone at a depth of 11.6 km. It was centered near West Salem, Illinois and Mount Carmel, Illinois, specifically at 38.45° N, 87.89° W.

2008 flood
A major flood occurred in June 2008, caused by intense rainfall upstream. Both the Wabash and White Rivers were severely flooded and nearly all of Gibson County's levees held the flood back, while many levees upstream were failing.

2017 tornado
On the evening of February 28, 2017, a powerful EF3 tornado struck areas of southern Illinois and Southwest Indiana. It began near Crossville, Illinois where it caused one death, then continued northeast, crossing the Wabash River into Posey County where it caused mainly tree and relatively minor structure damage, the tornado then continued its track east-northeast into southern Gibson County where the most intense damage occurred between Owensville and Cynthiana. Two people received minor injuries there. The tornado continued, causing damage along the way, with severe damage being concentrated along Indiana 168 and to several facilities along the southern end of the TMMI complex until ending south of Oakland City, after tracking 44 miles.

County roads
Gibson County has over 1700 mi of county roads, one of the largest amounts of county-maintained roads outside of an urban county. Like most Indiana counties, Gibson County uses the Indiana county road system to identify its roads. U.S. Route 41 (a north–south road) and State Road 64 (an east–west road) are near the meridian and division lines for the county, respectively.

Major highways

Interstate 69
A section of Interstate 69's construction groundbreaking occurred on July 16, 2008, at the Centre in Evansville. This project has its controversy, highlighted by a group of protesters in attendance. A portion of the first segment opened in September 2009. The entire stretch of highway in Gibson County was open to traffic on November 15, 2012.

Railroads
Three railroad lines pass through the county. CSX Transportation operates a north–south line, and Norfolk Southern Railway operates an east–west line; they intersect in Princeton. The north–south Indiana Southern Railroad main line intersects the Norfolk Southern line at Oakland City.

Sports
Gibson County's association with baseball is far-reaching with noted Major League Baseball players and announcers such as Gary Denbo and Dave Niehaus, and most notably MLB hall of famer Edd Roush and MLB legend Gil Hodges, the namesake of Gil Hodges Field, a little league field in Princeton.

Gibson County made its mark on the High School scene with two softball titles by Gibson Southern and a double overtime boys' basketball state title by Princeton in 2009, completing a 29–0 season as well as PCHS now holding the all-time points record with Jackie Young as of 2016 and a 2015 girls' basketball state title. In addition there are three state runner-tp titles. All of these titles have been acquired since Gibson Southern's softball runner-up title in 2001.

Public school districts

East Gibson School Corporation – Oakland City:
 * Waldo J. Wood Memorial Jr/Sr High School – Oakland City (Trojans)
 * Oakland City Elementary School – Oakland City (Acorns)
 * Barton Township School – Mackey (Aces)

North Gibson School Corporation – Princeton:
 * Princeton Community High School – Princeton (Tigers)
 * Princeton Community Middle School – Princeton (Tigers)
 * Brumfield Elementary School (formerly the "Early Learning Center") – Princeton (Tiger Cubs)

South Gibson School Corporation – Fort Branch:
 * Gibson Southern High School – Fort Branch (Titans)
 * Fort Branch Community School (K-8) – Fort Branch (Twigs)
 * Haubstadt Community School (K-8) – Haubstadt (Elites)
 * Owensville Community School (K-8) – Owensville (Kickapoos)

Private education
Gibson County's private education facilities consist of four Catholic schools run by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Evansville and one non-Catholic Christian school. Holy Cross, St. James, and Bethel field basketball teams. Enrollment and grades are in the first parentheses. Mascot (I/A) is in 2nd parentheses.

 * Bethel Christian School – Princeton (K3-8:112) (Crusaders)
 * Holy Cross Catholic School – Fort Branch (K-5:111) (Crusaders)
 * St. James Catholic School – St. James/Haubstadt (K-8:185) (Cougars)
 * St. Joseph Catholic School – Princeton (K-5:185)
 * Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic School – Haubstadt (K-5:200)

Higher education

 * Oakland City University – Oakland City, private university
 * Vincennes University Workforce Training Center – Princeton Branch – on southwest corner of Gibson County Courthouse
 * Ivy Tech Campus – 2 mi south of Princeton, soon to be within city limits in upcoming annexation
 * Vincennes University Center for Advanced Manufacturing – located near Fort Branch Community School at U.S. 41 and Coal Mine Road (CR 800 South). Groundbreaking was on October 23, 2009, with construction starting on November 3, 2009. Workforce programs offered at the Gibson County Center include certified miner safety training and heavy equipment operator training. In February 2016, in cooperation with North American Crane Certifications (NACC), this facility became an official training and testing site for Crane Institute Certification (CIC).

Industry

 * Gibson Generating Station (coal), Owensville, located across IN-64 from East Mount Carmel and across the Wabash River from Mount Carmel, Illinois, 7 mi northwest of Owensville and 10 mi west of Princeton)
 * Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana (TMMI), Princeton, located almost exactly halfway between Princeton and Fort Branch and largely in Union Township but addressed to Princeton. Produces the Toyota Highlander, Toyota Sienna, Toyota Grand Highlander, and the Lexus TX.
 * Hansen Corporation, Princeton, located on the south side
 * Millennium Steel, Princeton, located Immediately north of Toyota. Visited by President Barack Obama on October 3, 2014.
 * Vuteq, Princeton, located at north east corner of Toyota Plant Complex
 * Gibson County Quality Assurance, Princeton, located in Gibson County Warehousing Complex, 1 mi north of the Toyota plant. Also has a warehouse complex southeast of the Toyota plant.
 * Toyota Tsusho, Princeton, located in Gibson County Warehousing complex, 1 mi north of Toyota plant
 * Toyota Boshoku Indiana (TBIN), formerly TISA (Total Interior Systems of America), Princeton, located at north end of the Industrial Park on Gach Road
 * Peabody Energy, Francisco Mine, formerly Black Beauty Coal Company, located north of Francisco.
 * Gibson County Coal operates a large mine northwest of Princeton, a service mine 7 mi west of Princeton, and a mine north of Owensville
 * Norfolk Southern Railway
 * CSX Transportation

Broadcast media

 * FM 98.1 WRAY-FM – Princeton – Country Music
 * FM 101.5 WBGW-FM – Fort Branch – Religious Music/Talk
 * AM 1250 WRAY – Princeton – News/Talk

Newspapers

 * The Princeton Clarion – Princeton
 * South Gibson Bulletin – Owensville, Fort Branch, and Haubstadt
 * South Gibson Star-Times – Owensville, Fort Branch, and Haubstadt

Recreation

 * Gibson County Fairgrounds – Princeton – site of Indiana's oldest county fair, started in 1852
 * Azalea Path Arboretum and Botanical Gardens (south of Mt. Olympus on the Gibson/Pike county line)
 * Oakland City New Lake – Oakland City
 * Lafayette Park – Princeton
 * Gil Hodges Field – Princeton
 * Camp Carson YMCA Campground – Princeton
 * Haubstadt Old School Park and Old Gym – Haubstadt
 * Tri-State Speedway – Haubstadt
 * Weather Rock Campground – Warrenton
 * Montgomery Park – Owensville
 * REH Center (Old Owensville Gym) – Owensville
 * Gibson Lake – Owensville
 * Marlette Park – Fort Branch
 * Old Gym – Fort Branch
 * City Park of Fort Branch
 * Gibson Southern High School Grounds – Fort Branch
 * Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge and Management Area – Francisco and Oakland City
 * Hemmer Woods State Nature Preserve – southeast of Mackey

title: Gibson County, Indiana


text:
Fulton County, Indiana

Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. , the population was 20,480. The county seat is Rochester.

History
The first non-Native Americans to ever set foot in what is now Fulton County, Indiana, were French traders. Few of them remained permanently as year-round residents of the area and by the 1830s there was no French population in what is now Fulton County.

In the 1820s and 1830s, migrants from New England began moving to what is now Indiana in large numbers (though there was a trickle of New England settlers who arrived before this date). These were “Yankee” settlers, that is to say they were descended from the English Puritans who settled New England during the colonial era. While most of them came to Indiana directly from New England, there were many who came from upstate New York. These were people whose parents had moved from New England to upstate New York in the immediate aftermath of the American Revolution. Due to the prevalence of New Englanders and New England transplants from upstate New York, the northern third of Indiana was very culturally contiguous with early New England culture for much of its early history.

The Yankee migration to Indiana was a result of several factors, one of the overpopulation of New England. The old stock Yankee population had large families, often bearing up to ten children in one household. Most people were expected to have their own piece of land to farm, and due to the massive and nonstop population boom, land in New England became scarce as every son claimed his own farmstead. As a result, there was not enough land for every family to have a self-sustaining farm, and Yankee settlers began leaving New England for the Midwestern United States.

They were aided in this effort by the construction and completion of the Erie Canal which made traveling to the region much easier, causing an additional surge in migrants coming from New England. Added to this was the end of the Black Hawk War, which made the region much safer to travel through and settle in for White settlers.

In the case of Fulton County, there were no attempts by United States settlers to permanently settle the area until the conclusion of the Blackhawk War. Fulton County's first permanent non-Native American settlers arrived in September and October 1832, most of whom came from New England though some of whom were New England transplants from upstate New York. Most of Fulton County's New England settlers came from Franklin County, Massachusetts, Grafton County, New Hampshire and Orange County, Vermont, as well as several farming families from Maine and the rural northern region of Connecticut. At first, virtually all of these settlers were farmers.

These settlers were primarily members of the Congregational Church, though due to the Second Great Awakening, many of them had converted to Methodism, and some had become Baptists before coming to what is now Cook County. The Congregational Church has subsequently gone through many divisions, and some factions, including those in Cook County, are now known as the Church of Christ and the United Church of Christ.

When the New Englanders arrived, there was nothing but dense virgin forest and wild prairie. They laid out farms, constructed roads, erected government buildings and established post routes. By the spring of 1833 the settlement was a successful and thriving farming community. Rochester was laid out in 1835. The founder Alexander Chamberlain named it for his former hometown of Rochester, New York. The Rochester post office was established in 1836.

Fulton County was formed in 1836. It was named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat. Native Americans in the county believed that a terrible monster lived in Lake Manitou and for that reason they never lived around the lake. Early settlers called it the Devil's Lake and there were many reported sightings of a monster.

The Potawatomi Trail of Death came through the town in 1838.

The 178-acre Moore Farm, then located two miles south of Rochester, was purchased in 1871 for use as the Fulton County Poor Farm. The County Home was closed on December 31, 1965, and the entire property was sold on December 17, 1966, by the county commissioners to State Senator Robert E. Peterson of Rochester.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 371.26 sqmi, of which 368.39 sqmi (or 99.23%) is land and 2.88 sqmi (or 0.78%) is water.

Cities and towns

 * Akron
 * Athens (unincorporated)
 * Delong (unincorporated)
 * Fulton
 * Grass Creek (unincorporated)
 * Kewanna
 * Leiters Ford (unincorporated)
 * Rochester
 * Tiosa (unincorporated)

Townships

 * Aubbeenaubbee
 * Henry
 * Liberty
 * Newcastle
 * Richland
 * Rochester
 * Union
 * Wayne

Major highways

 * US 31.svg U.S. Route 31
 * indiana 14.svg State Road 14
 * indiana 17.svg State Road 17
 * indiana 19.svg State Road 19
 * indiana 25.svg State Road 25
 * indiana 114.svg State Road 114

Railroads

 * Fulton County Railroad

Adjacent counties

 * Marshall County (north)
 * Kosciusko County (northeast)
 * Wabash County (east)
 * Miami County (southeast)
 * Cass County (south)
 * Pulaski County (west)
 * Starke County (northwest)

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Rochester have ranged from a low of 15 °F in January to a high of 84 °F in July, although a record low of -25 °F was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 103 °F was recorded in July 1980. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.74 in in February to 4.16 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.

Fulton County is part of Indiana's 2nd congressional district and in 2015 was represented by Jackie Walorski in the United States Congress. It is also part of Indiana Senate district 18; and Indiana House of Representatives districts 16 and 23.

After a stretch of very narrow Democratic Party victories in the last four presidential elections of the 19th century, Fulton County became and has remained a Republican Party stronghold in presidential elections. The only exceptions to this have been Woodrow Wilson's plurality in 1912 thanks to a divided Republican vote and Franklin D. Roosevelts narrow majority in 1936 in the midst of his national landslide victory. FDR actually lost the county in 1936 even as Indiana as a whole was swept up in his 46-state landslide. The Democrats have only come reasonably close to carrying the county once since then, when Barry Goldwater won it over Lyndon Johnson by only 36 votes. This is one of only four times since 1936 that the Democrats have managed as much as 40 percent of the county's vote.

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 20,836 people, 8,237 households, and 5,736 families residing in the county. The population density was 56.6 PD/sqmi. There were 9,708 housing units at an average density of 26.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 95.0% white, 0.7% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.5% American Indian, 2.2% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 28.7% were German, 19.0% were American, 10.9% were Irish, and 10.0% were English. Those citing "American" ancestry in Fulton County are of overwhelmingly English extraction, however most English Americans identify simply as having American ancestry because their roots have been in North America for so long, in some cases since the 1600s.

Of the 8,237 households, 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.4% were non-families, and 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age was 40.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $47,972. Males had a median income of $40,110 versus $28,417 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,119. About 8.5% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.1% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census the population of Fulton County was 20,480.

Education
Public schools in Fulton County are administered by the Caston School Corporation, the Rochester Community School Corporation, Culver Community School Corporation, and the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation.

High Schools and Middle Schools
 * Caston Junior-Senior High School
 * Rochester Community High School
 * Rochester Middle School
 * Tippecanoe Valley High School
 * Tippecanoe Valley Middle School

Elementary Schools
 * Akron Elementary
 * Caston Elementary School
 * Columbia Elementary School
 * Riddle Elementary School

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

title: Fulton County, Indiana


text:
Franklin County, Indiana

Franklin County is a county on the eastern border of the U.S. state of Indiana. In the 2020 United States Census, the county population was 22,785. The county seat is the town of Brookville. Franklin County is part of the Cincinnati, OH–KY–IN Metropolitan Statistical Area. The only incorporated city in Franklin County is Batesville, which lies mostly in adjoining Ripley County.

Geography
Franklin County lies on the eastern edge of Indiana; its eastern border abuts the western border of Ohio. Its low rolling hills, once completely wooded, have been partially cleared and leveled for agricultural use. The carved drainages are still largely brush-filled. According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 391.05 sqmi, of which 384.43 sqmi (or 98.31%) is land and 6.62 sqmi (or 1.69%) is water.

Brookville Lake extends into the county's northern part, formed by a dam of the same name on the East Branch of the Whitewater River, a tributary of the Great Miami River. The West Branch of the Whitewater River enters the county's northwestern part from Fayette County and joins the east branch at Brookville, to form the Whitewater River, flowing southeastward into Dearborn County. The southern and southwestern parts of Franklin County are drained by Salt Creek, Pipe Creek, and Blue Creek, which flow northeastward into Whitewater River. The highest point in the county (1,070 ft ASL) is a small hill 1.0 mi north of Andersonville.

Adjacent counties

 * Fayette County - north
 * Union County - northeast
 * Butler County, Ohio - east
 * Hamilton County, Ohio - southeast
 * Dearborn County - south
 * Ripley County - southwest
 * Decatur County - west
 * Rush County - northwest

Major highways

 * I-74.svg Interstate 74
 * US 52.svg U.S. Route 52
 * indiana 1.svg Indiana State Road 1
 * indiana 46.svg Indiana State Road 46
 * indiana 101.svg Indiana State Road 101
 * indiana 121.svg Indiana State Road 121
 * indiana 229.svg Indiana State Road 229
 * indiana 244.svg Indiana State Road 244
 * indiana 252.svg Indiana State Road 252

Protected areas

 * Mounds State Recreation Area

Lakes

 * Brookville Lake (part)

City

 * Batesville (partial)

Towns

 * Brookville (county seat)
 * Cedar Grove
 * Laurel
 * Mount Carmel
 * Oldenburg
 * West Harrison (partial)

Census-designated places

 * Lake Santee (partial)
 * Metamora
 * New Trenton

Unincorporated communities

 * Andersonville
 * Bath
 * Blooming Grove
 * Buena Vista
 * Drewersburg
 * Enochsburg
 * Fairfield (extinct)
 * Hamburg
 * Highland Center
 * Huntersville
 * Klemmes Corner
 * Lake View
 * Midway
 * Millville
 * Mixersville
 * Mound Haven
 * Mount Auburn
 * New Fairfield
 * Oak Forest
 * Old Bath
 * Palestine
 * Peoria
 * Peppertown
 * Raymond
 * Rockdale
 * Saint Marys
 * Saint Peter
 * Scipio (part)
 * Sharptown
 * South Gate
 * Stavetown
 * Whitcomb
 * Yellow Bank
 * Youngs Corner

Townships

 * Bath Township
 * Blooming Grove Township
 * Brookville Township
 * Butler Township
 * Fairfield Township
 * Highland Township
 * Laurel Township
 * Metamora Township
 * Posey Township
 * Ray Township
 * Salt Creek Township
 * Springfield Township
 * Whitewater Township

History
The future state of Indiana was first regulated by congressional passage of the Northwest Ordinance in 1787. In 1790 the Territory was divided into two counties, with Knox covering much of present-day Indiana. In 1810, a portion of Knox was partitioned to create Wayne County, and shortly thereafter a portion further south was partitioned to create Franklin; the authorizing act was dated February 1, 1811. It was named for statesman Benjamin Franklin.

Some early settlers of Franklin County were Primitive Baptists who came with Elder William Tyner from Virginia in 1797, after the American Revolutionary War. They organized the first church congregation in the Whitewater Valley, the Little Cedar Grove Baptist Church. They raised a log chapel southeast of Brookville in 1805.

Another European-American landmark is the Big Cedar Baptist Church and Burying Ground on Big Cedar Creek Road, between the road to Reily and the Oxford Pike. The original church was established in 1817, as an arm of the Little Cedar Baptist church. The brick building was built in 1838. This church congregation, similar to many pioneer Baptist groups in the country, was originally Primitive Baptist or Hardshell. In the 1830s modernism reached the county, bringing innovations such as Sunday schools, Missionary Societies, and the playing of organs. Organs were particularly anathema to the Primitive Party, who considered it akin to Aaron's golden calf.

The Big Cedar congregation divided into two over these issues, but the two groups arrived at an amicable settlement. Both congregations continued to use the same building: the Primitives, or Hardshells, had worship in the church on the first and third Sabbath of each month, and the Modernists or Missionary Baptists used the church on the second and fourth Sundays. Each congregation had a wood shed. The building is now maintained in connection with the Big Cedar Cemetery Association.

Governors James B. Ray, Noah Noble and David Wallace were known as the "Brookville Triumvirate." They had each lived in Brookville and were elected to consecutive terms as Indiana governor. Noble and Ray were political adversaries.

James B. Goudie Jr. (1769–1836), Speaker of the Indiana House, was also from Franklin County.

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Brookville have ranged from a low of 17 °F in January to a high of 87 °F in July, although a record low of -31 °F was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 104 °F was recorded in September 1951. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.68 in in September to 4.90 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 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 county government.

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.

Franklin County is part of Indiana's 6th congressional district; Indiana Senate districts 42 and 43; and Indiana House of Representatives districts 55, 67 and 68.

2010 Census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 23,087 people, 8,579 households, and 6,447 families in the county. The population density was 60.1 PD/sqmi. There were 9,538 housing units at an average density of 24.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.3% white, 0.2% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.3% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 40.3% were German, 14.7% were American, 13.1% were Irish, and 9.5% were English.

Of the 8,579 households, 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.6% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 24.9% were non-families, and 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.07. The median age was 40.0 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $60,300. Males had a median income of $43,443 versus $32,612 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,090. About 8.6% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.8% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education
School districts include:
 * Batesville Community School Corporation
 * Franklin County Community School Corporation
 * Union County-College Corner Joint School District

title: Franklin County, Indiana


text:
Fountain County, Indiana

Fountain County lies in the western part of the U.S. state of Indiana on the east side of the Wabash River. The county was officially established in 1826 and was the 53rd in Indiana. The county seat is Covington.

According to the 2020 United States Census, its population was 16,479. The county has two incorporated cities and six incorporated towns, as well as many small unincorporated communities. It is divided into eleven townships which provide local services. An interstate highway, two U.S. Routes and five Indiana state roads cross the county, as does a major railroad line.

History
Indiana was granted statehood near the end of 1816. The first non-indigenous settler in the future Fountain County is thought to have been a Mr. Forbes, who arrived in early 1823 and was soon followed by others. The legislative act creating Fountain County was passed on December 30, 1825, setting an effective date of April 1, 1826. The county's boundaries have remained unchanged since that time. It was named for Major James Fontaine of Kentucky who was killed at Harmar's Defeat (near modern Fort Wayne, Indiana) on October 22, 1790, during the Northwest Indian War.

The first Fountain County courthouse was a two-story frame building constructed in Covington in 1827; Abraham Griffith submitted the winning bid of $335. In 1829, plans were made for a larger courthouse building, but then an act of the legislature called for the county seat to be moved. In the end it was decided that the county seat should remain in Covington, and the brick courthouse was completed in 1833. A third courthouse was commissioned in 1856, and was completed in 1857 at a cost of $33,500. The circuit court met for the first time in the new building in January 1860, and the building was largely destroyed by fire the same day. Isaac Hodgson was the architect for the rebuilt courthouse, which was first occupied in January 1861; the total cost, including the reconstruction, totaled $54,624.05. The current courthouse was built in 1936–37 at a cost of $246,734; it replaced the previous building which had been declared unsafe. The 1937 building was constructed by the Jacobson Brothers of Chicago; the architects were Louis R. Johnson and Walter Scholar of Lafayette. The courthouse walls display murals painted by Eugene Francis Savage and others from 1937 to 1940, covering 2500 sqft of wall space and depicting the settlement of western Indiana.

Digging on the Wabash and Erie Canal began in 1832 and worked southwest; it reached Lafayette by 1842. In 1846 it reached Covington, and by 1847 traffic was moving through the county via the canal. Completion of the county's first railroad line in the 1850s heralded an end to the canal's usefulness, and in 1875 the last canal boat passed through Covington.

The first railway line through the county was the Toledo, Wabash and Western Railway (later the Wabash Railroad) which was built from the east across the northern part of the county and reached Attica in 1856; it continued west through Warren County and reached the Illinois state line the following year. The Indianapolis, Crawfordsville and Danville Railroad (later the Indiana, Bloomington and Western Railway), was started in 1855, but the general state of the economy halted construction in 1858. It was completed by another owner in 1870, and traffic started in 1871. It passed through Covington, Veedersburg and Hillsboro.

Geography
Fountain County's northern and western borders are defined by the Wabash River which flows southwesterly out of Tippecanoe County.

According to the 2010 United States Census, the county has a total area of 397.88 sqmi, of which 395.66 sqmi (or 99.44%) is land and 2.22 sqmi (or 0.56%) is water. Elevations range from 770 ft above sea level in the northeastern part of the county to 465 ft in the southwest where the Wabash River leaves the county. The county is within the drainage basin of the Wabash River, sloping to the southwest. It is covered with loess ranging in thickness from a few inches to more than 7 ft. Approximately 84 percent of the county's land is use for agriculture.

The Portland Arch Nature Preserve and the Miller-Campbell Memorial Tract, a 435 acre preserve managed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, are located adjacent to the Wabash River.

Adjacent counties

 * Warren County - north
 * Tippecanoe County - northeast
 * Montgomery County - east.
 * Parke County - south
 * Vermillion County - southwest

Cities

 * Attica
 * Covington (county seat)

Incorporated towns

 * Hillsboro
 * Kingman
 * Mellott
 * Newtown
 * Veedersburg
 * Wallace

Unincorporated communities

 * Aylesworth
 * Cates
 * Centennial
 * Coal Creek
 * Fountain
 * Graham
 * Harveysburg
 * Layton
 * Riverside
 * Rob Roy
 * Roberts
 * Silverwood
 * Steam Corner
 * Stone Bluff
 * Vine
 * Yeddo

Previous settlements

 * Stringtown - abandoned mining settlement south of Covington

There are several coal mines in southwest Fountain County.

Townships

 * Cain (July 24, 1826)
 * Davis
 * Fulton
 * Jackson
 * Logan
 * Millcreek
 * Richland (July 24, 1826)
 * Shawnee (July 24, 1826)
 * Troy (July 24, 1826)
 * Van Buren
 * Wabash (July 24, 1826)

Highways
Interstate 74 runs east–west through the middle of Fountain County. US Route 136 follows the same general east–west route of I-74 through the county; in the eastern part it runs on the south side of the interstate, but crosses to the north side between Veedersburg and Covington. US Route 41 runs north–south through the county, passing through Attica and Veedersburg.

Three east–west state roads cross the county. State Road 28 enters Attica from Warren County and crosses the north end of the county. State Road 32 enters the middle of the county from Perrysville to the west and passes through Fountain County on its way to Crawfordsville to the east. State Road 234, further to the south, enters from Cayuga to the west and passes east through Kingman. Two north–south state roads run through the county. State Road 55 passes through Attica and shares the route of US Route 41 running goes south. At Rob Roy it turns to run southeast through Newton. State Road 341 starts at State Road 28 in the north and runs south, ending at State Road 234.

Railroads
A Norfolk Southern Railway line crosses northern Fountain County on its route between Danville, Illinois and Lafayette, Indiana; it carries about 45 freight trains each day.

Air transportation
There are no public-use airports within the boundary of Fountain County; air service is available at nearby airports:
 * Purdue University Airport - Indiana's second busiest airport, in Tippecanoe County, is operated by Purdue University.
 * Indianapolis International Airport is located about 70 mi east of Fountain County.

Climate and weather
Fountain County is in the humid continental climate region of the United States along with most of Indiana. Its Köppen climate classification is Dfa, meaning that it is cold, has no dry season, and has a hot summer. In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Covington have ranged from a low of 15 °F in January to a high of 85 °F in July, although a record low of -26 °F was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 105 °F was recorded in August 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.80 in inches in February to 4.53 in inches in June.

From 1950 through 2009, six tornadoes were reported in Fountain County, causing $25 million in damage but no fatalities.

Education
Three public bodies administer Fountain County schools:
 * Attica Consolidated School Corporation (northern Fountain County) – served 964 students during the 2009–2010 school year. It runs Attica Elementary and Attica Junior–Senior High Schools.
 * Covington Community School Corporation (western Fountain County) – served 1,012 students during 2009–2010. It runs Covington Elementary, Covington Middle, and Covington High Schools.
 * Southeast Fountain School Corporation (eastern Fountain County) – served 1,279 students during 2009–2010. It runs Southeast Fountain Elementary and Fountain Central Junior–Senior High Schools.

Notable people
Daniel Wolsey Voorhees was born in Ohio but was raised in Fountain County. He attended school in Veedersburg, graduated from college in 1849, was admitted to the bar, and began practicing law in Covington; he moved to Terre Haute in 1857. He served as a United States Senator (1877–1897), and was known as "the tall sycamore of the Wabash". He died in Washington in 1897 and is buried in Terre Haute.

John Myers was born in Covington in 1927. He graduated from Covington High School, then from Indiana State University in Terre Haute; he served in the United States Army and then served in the US House of Representatives 1967–1997.

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 legislative branch of the county government and controls spending and revenue collection. Representatives are elected to four-year terms from county districts. The council members 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. In 2010, the county budgeted approximately $9.8 million for the district's schools and $3.2 million for other county operations and services, for a total annual budget of approximately $13 million.

A board of commissioners comprises the county's executive body. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in 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 circuit court. The judge on the court is elected to a term of six years and must be a lawyer admitted to practice law in Indiana.

The county has other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, 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 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 by a three-member township board. The trustees and board members are elected to four-year terms.

Based on the 2010 United States Census, Fountain County is part of Indiana's 4th congressional district; Indiana Senate district 23; and Indiana House of Representatives districts 13 and 42.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census there were 16,479 residents in Fountain County.

2010 Census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 17,240 people, 6,935 households, and 4,787 families in the county. The population density was 43.6 PD/sqmi. There were 7,865 housing units at an average density of 19.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 97.5% white, 0.2% black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.8% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 21.6% were German, 14.4% were Irish, 14.3% were American, and 12.5% were English.

Of the 6,935 households, 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.0% were non-families, and 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.95. 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 $51,696. Males had a median income of $44,118 versus $28,462 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,949. About 8.9% of families and 13.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.8% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.

title: Fountain County, Indiana


text:
Floyd County, Indiana

Floyd County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. Its county seat is New Albany. The population of the county was 80,484 as of the 2020 United States Census. Floyd County has the second-smallest land area in the entire state. It was formed in the year 1819 from neighboring Clark and Harrison counties.

Floyd County is part of the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY–IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Floyd County, originally the Shawnee Indians hunting ground, was conquered for the United States by George Rogers Clark during the American Revolutionary War from the British. He was awarded large tracts of land in Indiana, including almost all of present-day Floyd County. Clark sold land to the settlers who began arriving as soon as peace returned. In 1818, New Albany was large enough to become a county seat and form a new county. New Albany leaders sent Nathaniel Scribner and John K. Graham to the capital at Corydon to petition the General Assembly. Legislation was passed on January 2, 1819, by the General Assembly, and the county was established on February 1. The origin of the county's name is debated. According to the State Library, it was named for John Floyd, a leading Jefferson County, Kentucky pioneer and uncle of Davis Floyd. John Floyd was killed in 1783 when his party was attacked by Indians in Bullitt County, Kentucky. However, some maintain the county was actually named for Davis Floyd, who was convicted of aiding Aaron Burr in the treason of 1809. Davis Floyd had also been a leading local political figure and was the county's first circuit court judge.

In 1814, New Albany was platted and was established as the county seat on March 4, 1819. There was an attempt in 1823 to move the county seat, but the motion failed. New Albany would be the largest city in the state for much of the early 19th century, eventually being overtaken by Indianapolis during the Civil War.

Between 1800 and 1860, Floyd County experienced a huge boom in population (doubling many times over). A survey in the 1850s found that over half of Indiana's population that made more than $100,000 per year lived in Floyd County, establishing it as having the richest population in the state.

The Duncan Tunnel, the longest tunnel in Indiana, was built in Floyd County in 1881 between New Albany and Edwardsville. Because no route over the Floyds Knobs was suitable for a railroad line, civil engineers decided to tunnel through them. The project was originally started by the Air Line but was completed by Southern Railway. It took five years to bore at a cost of $1 million. The Tunnel is 4311 ft long. Floyd County, during the 19th century, attracted immigrants of Irish, German, French and African American origins. The French settlers located mostly in Floyds Knobs, Indiana. The Irish began arriving in 1817 and settled in large numbers between 1830 and 1850. German immigrants settled mostly in New Albany. By 1850, about one in six county residents had been born in other countries. Mount Saint Francis, a multi-purpose complex owned and administered by the Conventual Franciscan Friars of the Province of Our Lady of Consolation, is located in Floyds Knobs along Highway 150. The property includes 400 acres of woods and Mount Saint Francis Lake, both which are open to the public. Numerous hiking trails meander through the woods and fields containing native prairie grasses. No hunting is allowed on the property.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 148.96 sqmi, of which 147.94 sqmi (or 99.32%) is land and 1.02 sqmi (or 0.68%) is water. It is the second smallest county in area, behind only Ohio County, although significantly more populated.

City

 * New Albany

Towns

 * Georgetown
 * Greenville

Census-designated place

 * Galena

Townships
Floyd County is divided into five townships:
 * Franklin
 * Georgetown
 * Greenville
 * Lafayette
 * New Albany

Geographical features
The Knobs Unit, which includes Floyd County, contains some of the hilliest country in Indiana. As a result, the area supports trees that prefer very dry sites and ridgetops, as well as those that prefer very wet sites, ravines, or “bottomland.” Tree types unique to the unit include blackjack oak and swamp tupelo. Part of the unit stands on sandstone bedrock; other areas developed over limestone. This difference accommodates a variety of trees and their associated flowering plants and shrubs. Trees found in Floyd County include the Sycamore, Flowering Dogwood, Virginia Pine, Easter Redcedar, American Beech, Sugar Maple, American Elm and Chestnut Oak. The lowest point in the county is the shore of the Ohio River near New Albany at an elevation of 380 ft.

Transit

 * Transit Authority of River City

Major highways

 * Interstate 64
 * Interstate 265
 * U.S. Route 150
 * Indiana State Road 11
 * Indiana State Road 62
 * Indiana State Road 64
 * Indiana State Road 111
 * Indiana State Road 335

Adjacent counties

 * Clark County (northeast)
 * Jefferson County, Kentucky (south, across the Ohio River)
 * Harrison County (west)
 * Washington County (northwest)

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in New Albany have ranged from a low of 25 °F in January to a high of 87 °F in July. The record low temperature was -22 °F, recorded in January 1994, and a record high was 107 °F, recorded in July 1936. On July 4, 2012, the record for highest temperature in the county was almost broken; the temperature reached 106 °F. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.79 in in October of last year to 4.88 in in May of last year.

Government
The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana and 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. Floyd county is divided into 44 precincts which are organized into four districts, each district elects one representative to the council. Three other members are elected to the county at large. 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: Floyd County's court system consists of a Circuit Court, three Superior Courts and a Magistrate 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.

Floyd County has nine public parks within the county, the largest being the 104-acre Sam Peden Community Park in New Albany.

Floyd County is part of Indiana's 9th congressional district and is represented in Congress by Republican Trey Hollingsworth It is also part of Indiana Senate district 46 and Indiana House of Representatives districts 70 and 72.

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 74,578 people, 29,479 households, and 20,264 families residing in the county. The population density was 504.1 PD/sqmi. There were 31,968 housing units at an average density of 216.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 90.4% white, 5.2% black or African American, 0.9% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.2% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 29.4% were German, 15.0% were Irish, 11.0% were English, and 10.6% were American.

Of the 29,479 households, 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.3% were non-families, and 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age was 39.1 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $63,139. Males had a median income of $45,699 versus $33,749 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,971. About 8.2% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.6% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education
New Albany-Floyd County Consolidated School Corporation serves the county. New Albany High School was the first public high school in the state, opening its doors in 1853. The school system has two high schools, New Albany High School and Floyd Central High School, nine elementary schools and three middle schools. The district's enrollment totals approximately 12,000 students in pre-kindergarten through high school programs. The district employs more than 1,200 full-time personnel, which includes approximately 750 teachers, and 375 part-time personnel, according to the 2017 NA-FC website.

All Floyd County residents are eligible to obtain a library card at the New Albany-Floyd County Public Library in New Albany.

There is one university in Floyd County. Indiana University Southeast campus is located on Grant Line Road in New Albany, Indiana. The campus spreads over 180 acre just north of I-265 in Southern Indiana. Around 7,000 students attend the school, which is part of the Indiana University system.

title: Floyd County, Indiana


text:
Fayette County, Indiana

Fayette County is one of 92 counties in U.S. state of Indiana located in the east central portion of the state. As of 2020, the population was 23,398. Most of the county is rural; land use is farms, pasture and unincorporated woodland. The county seat and only incorporated town is Connersville, which holds a majority of the county's population.

The county was historically significant early in the 19th century as a conduit for settlement of the Northwest Territory, and again in the early 20th century as an automotive manufacturing center, but has been in economic decline since the 1960s and is now among the poorest counties in the state. Most employment is retail, schools and healthcare.

The county lacks a commercial airport and bus service, and has no major (U.S. or Interstate) highways.

The county was created in 1818 from portions of Wayne and Franklin counties and unincorporated ("New Purchase") territory.

Fayette County comprises the Connersville, IN Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History
The county and its seat Connersville rose from unincorporated territory surrounding an isolated trading post on the Whitewater River to the principal conduit for settlement of northern and central Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois during the early 19th century, to an automotive manufacturing powerhouse in the first half of the 20th century, suffered recession and post-war industrial revival before declining to one of the poorest counties in Indiana and the central midwest. After early settlement, during industrial growth, the county's population concentrated in the town of Connersville. In 1841, Connersville became the first, and remains the only, incorporated town (chartered as a city in 1869) in the county.

Native American cultures
The oldest civilizations in the Fayette County area, known as Mound Builders, occupied the area between 2,000 and 3,000 years ago. They are known for their distinctive earthen mounds which can be found throughout the area, as well as a variety of metal and pottery artifacts left behind in those mounds across Indiana and Ohio.

Nomadic Miami, Shawnee, and Potawatomi peoples inhabited the area when European explorers arrived and began to form settlements, between the 1670s and early 1800s, and were in the area for at least two hundred years prior to the earliest European explorers. The Delaware Indians, displaced from their ancestral homelands in the east, would later migrate to the Whitewater Valley.

Indiana Territory
At the organization of the Indiana Territory from the Northwest Territory in 1800, the Northwest Territory including present day Indiana was divided between Knox County (seat Vincennes) in the south, and Wayne County, including northern Ohio (seat Detroit) north of Fort Wayne in the north. By the Ohio Enabling Act of 1802 settlers in the Whitewater valley became citizens of the Indiana Territory and residents of Clark county, which had been organized from the eastern part of Knox in 1801, with the county seat at Falls of the Ohio, later called Clarksville.

On September 30, 1809, the United States, on behalf of the Northwest Territory and Governor William Henry Harrison, concluded the Treaty of Fort Wayne, part of whose terms included the purchase from the Indians of a strip of land locally called "The 12 Mile Purchase" parallel to and west of "The Gore", enclosing the Whitewater Valley and comprising the largest portion of the future county. Conclusion of the treaty essentially ended Indian occupation of the county and cleared the way for settlement.

In southeastern Indiana, a part of the Northwest Territory nicknamed "The Gore" was ceded from Ohio to Indiana in 1803 and became Dearborn County. Wayne and Franklin counties were carved from Dearborn and Clark counties in 1811. At that time much of southeastern Indiana was divided between the two latter counties.

The County
Fayette County was created by act of the Indiana General Assembly in December 1818 from portions of Wayne and Franklin counties and unincorporated ("New Purchase") territory in the northern portion of the county. It was named for the Marquis de la Fayette, a French hero of the Revolutionary War. Connersville, then a small village of less than a hundred inhabitants, was designated the county seat. The county was divided into five townships (Harrison, Connersville, Jennings, Columbia, and Brownsville) in February 1819, Connersville Township containing the namesake town. In 1821, the organization of Waterloo Township subsumed the portion of Brownsville Township remaining in Fayette County, along with a portion of Harrison Township west of the Whitewater River.

The far eastern part of Fayette lying between the Treaty of Greenville treaty line of 1795 and the present eastern boundary line of Waterloo and Jennings townships was split off into the newly created Union County in 1821. In 1826, a small part in the southeastern portion of Jackson township not included in the limits of the county in 1818, being left a part of Franklin county, was attached to Fayette County.

Four additional townships were created in later years: Posey (1823), Orange (1822), Jackson (1820) and Fairview (1851), corresponding to settlement of the area.

Settlement of the Whitewater Valley
At the time of its organization in 1819, the county had approximately 3,000 residents. Two major events spurred early growth: the completion of the Whitewater Canal in 1847, and the arrival of the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Indianapolis Railroad through Connersville in 1862.

Automotive manufacturing
Economic productivity in the county, except for farming, has been centered almost exclusively in the one town of Connersville.

The automotive era of Connersville began in 1909, when the McFarlan first went into production. The following year, Lexington moved its plant to Connersville from its namesake city in Kentucky. Next came Empire, which built the Little Aristocrat. After Lexington went bankrupt in 1926, Auburn production moved to a factory complex known as Auburn Central. The “Baby Duesenberg” designed in Connersville eventually became the Cord 810 and 812. Connersville also was home to suppliers, including Central Manufacturing, which made bodywork for the 1940 Packard Darrin, along with some 500,000 Jeep bodies during World War II.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 215.16 sqmi, of which 215.01 sqmi (or 99.93%) is land and 0.15 sqmi (or 0.07%) is water. It is almost 14 mi. wide at its widest east–west span, and 19 mi. long (through Posey township). The county is located in the northern portion of the Whitewater River Valley running south and southeasterly from Wayne County to Cincinnati on the Ohio River. The only major waterway in the county is the West Fork of the Whitewater River running north to south through the center of the county. There is only a single tiny (15 acre) lake in the county, Manlove's Lake in Posey Township. The county is mostly flat with low, rolling hills. The county (and all of Indiana) is part of the Eastern (U.S.) Broadleaf Forest biome dominated by deciduous trees including over 175 native species of oak. Most of the land use is farms (>80%), vacant woodland and pasture. The most common crops are corn and soybeans.

Adjacent counties

 * Henry County (north)
 * Wayne County (northeast)
 * Union County (east)
 * Franklin County (south)
 * Rush County (west)

Townships

 * Columbia
 * Connersville
 * Fairview
 * Harrison
 * Jackson
 * Jennings
 * Orange
 * Posey
 * Waterloo

Cities and towns

 * Connersville

Unincorporated towns

 * Alquina
 * Alpine
 * Bentonville
 * Columbia
 * Everton
 * Glenwood
 * Falmouth in Fayette and Rush counties
 * Fairview in Fayette and Rush counties
 * Harrisburg
 * Huber
 * Longwood Crossing
 * Lyonsville
 * Nulltown
 * Orange
 * Springersville
 * Tyner Crossing, NW of Connersville near Harrisburg
 * Waterloo

Transportation
Major markets are remote; the nearest large cities are Cincinnati 58 mi to the southeast, Indianapolis 66 mi to the west, Louisville 127 mi to the south, and Columbus, Ohio, 135 mi to the northeast.

Major highways
The accessible state roads are all 2-lane roads. The nearest major highways are U.S. 40 12 mi to the north, and Interstate 70 14 mi to the north, both in Henry and Wayne Counties. Three major state roads all pass through Connersville:
 * [[Image:indiana 1.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 1
 * [[Image:indiana 44.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 44
 * [[Image:indiana 121.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 121

Airport, rail and bus
There is no commercial airport or bus service in the county. Amtrak passenger trains serve Connersville. Fayette County has CSX freight service in Connersville.

Waterways
Whitewater River, the only significant waterway in the county, is not commercially navigable.

Recreation
Robert's Park is a city park in Connersville providing pool, clubhouse, field, and grandstand facilities. The Whitewater Valley Railroad is a heritage railroad providing sightseeing tours between Connersville and Metamora. Manlove Lake near Milton, is a small lake and recreation area providing limited fishing and boating.

Economy
In 2010, the county ranked 92nd out of 92 Indiana counties in median household income. Most of the economic activity is local manufacturing, retail trade and healthcare services, concentrated in Connersville.

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Connersville have ranged from a low of 15 °F in January to a high of 83 °F in July, although a record low of -31 °F was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 102 °F was recorded in July 1952. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.33 in in February to 4.89 in in May.

Schools and colleges
The county is served by the Fayette County School system including elementary, middle and high schools. There are also a few parochial elementary schools in Connersville. Both Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and Indiana University East offer classes in Connersville.

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.

Fayette County is part of Indiana's 6th congressional district; Indiana Senate district 42 and Indiana House of Representatives district 55.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census there were 23,398 people in Fayette County.

2010 Census Data
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 24,277 people, 9,719 households, and 6,669 families residing in the county. The population density was 112.9 PD/sqmi. There were 10,898 housing units at an average density of 50.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 96.9% white, 1.3% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 20.4% were German, 15.2% were American, 11.8% were Irish, and 8.2% were English.

Of the 9,719 households, 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.4% were non-families, and 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.93. The median age was 40.8 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $46,601. Males had a median income of $41,211 versus $29,388 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,928. About 11.9% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.0% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

2000 Census Data
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,588 people, 10,199 households, and 7,149 families residing in the county. The population density was 119 /mi2. There were 10,981 housing units at an average density of 51 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 97.16% White, 1.67% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 0.52% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 39.2% were of American, 18.9% German, 10.6% English and 9.7% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 10,199 households, out of which 30.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.60% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.30% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 27.10% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 15.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,840, and the median income for a family was $46,111. Males had a median income of $34,493 versus $23,082 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,624. About 6.00% of families and 7.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.40% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

 * Howard Garns, born in Connersville in 1905 and known as the inventor of Number Place, which would become later known as Sudoku.
 * William Grose, Civil War general and Indiana State Senator grew up here.
 * George Washington Steele, first Governor of Oklahoma Territory.
 * Robert Wise, a movie producer and director who grew up in Connersville, became president of the Directors Guild of America (1971–1975) and president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (1984–1987).

title: Fayette County, Indiana


text:
Elkhart County, Indiana

Elkhart County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. , the county's population was 207,047. The county seat is Goshen. Elkhart County is part of the Elkhart-Goshen Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in turn is part of the South Bend-Elkhart-Mishawaka Combined Statistical Area. It is also considered part of the broader region of Northern Indiana known as Michiana, and is 20 mi east of South Bend, Indiana, 110 mi east of Chicago, Illinois, and 150 mi north of Indianapolis, Indiana. The area is referred to by locals as the recreation vehicle (RV) capital of the world and is known for its sizable Amish and Old Order Mennonite population.

History
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the area now within Elkhart County boundaries was mainly inhabited by the Potawatomi tribe. Pioneers began settling in the Elkhart Prairie in 1829 and in April 1830, Elkhart County was officially established with its original county seat in Dunlap. After reorganizing the county borders, the seat was moved to Goshen near the county's geographical center.

Elkhart County was founded by immigrants from New England. These were old-stock "Yankee" immigrants, descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the 1600s. The completion of the Erie Canal in 1821 sparked a surge in immigration from New England to northern Indiana, which had become a state five years earlier. The end of the Black Hawk War in 1832 increased the immigration surge of immigration, again coming from New England as a result of overpopulation combined with land shortages in that region. Some of these later settlers were from upstate New York, whose relatives had moved to that region from New England shortly after the American Revolutionary War. New Englanders and New England transplants from upstate New York were the vast majority of Elkhart County's inhabitants during the first several decades of its history. These settlers were primarily members of the Congregational Church though due to the Second Great Awakening many of them had converted to Methodism and some had become Baptists before moving west. The Congregational Church subsequently has gone through many divisions, and some factions, including those in Elkhart County, are now known as the Church of Christ and the United Church of Christ. As a result of this heritage, most of Elkhart County supported the abolitionist movement before the American Civil War. Elkhart County provided substantial recruits for the Union Army. During the end of the nineteenth century, Irish and German migrants came to Elkhart County, although most did not come directly from Europe, but had stopped in other areas in the Midwest, such as Ohio.

Name
The name Elkhart is a euphemization of "Elks-heart", which refers to the now extinct Eastern elk. The name has been attached to the Elkhart River and surrounding area since at least 1749, when it was recorded in French as Coeur de cerf ("elk's heart") as the name of a Miami village there. The place name in Miami-Illinois is mihšiiwiateehi ("elk's heart"). Later in the 18th century the area was inhabited by the Potawatomi; in the Potawatomi language, the place is likewise known as mzewəodeʔig, "at the elk heart". The name may reflect a prehistoric association of the Elkhart area with the Kaskaskia people, whom the Miami called "elk hearts".

Other explanations have been suggested. According to an account by two Miami leaders (Jean Baptiste Richardville and Le Gros) recorded in 1824, the name arose from two women fighting over an elk's heart that had been hung up to dry. Alternatively, some historians including Jacob Piatt Dunn have associated the name with the shape of an island in the Elkhart River that is stated to resemble an elk's heart. This theory has been carried on the city's website.

A popular but non-historical account claims that the county was named after a Shawnee Indian chief named "Elkhart", who was ostensibly a cousin of the famous Chief Tecumseh, and father of "princess Mishawaka" (for whom, according to the story, neighboring Mishawaka is named). This story originated in Legends of Michigan and the Old North West, an 1875 collection of historical fiction by Michigan politician Flavius J. Littlejohn.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 467.97 sqmi, of which 463.17 sqmi (or 98.97%) is land and 4.80 sqmi (or 1.03%) is water. The county sits in mostly rural farmland with rolling hills in its northeast corner. Those hills were formed by glaciers and are part of the St. Lawrence Seaway Continental Divide.

The St. Joseph River, which flows from Michigan, across the Michigan border north of Bristol, is the main waterway in Elkhart County. The Elkhart River enters the county east of Millersburg and winds its way through Goshen and Dunlap to Island Park in Elkhart where it meets the St. Joseph. The Little Elkhart River flows into the county southeast of Middlebury and creates some scenic views in Bonneyville Mills County Park before emptying into the St. Joseph near Bristol. Numerous creeks wind their way through the countryside and several lakes, including Simonton Lake, dot the landscape.

Fifteen unincorporated communities also exist in the county. They are Benton, Bonneyville Mills, Dunlap, Foraker, Garden Village, Jimtown, Locke, Midway, New Paris, Nibbyville, Simonton Lake, Southwest, Vistula, and Waterford Mills.

Adjacent counties

 * Cass County, Michigan (northwest)
 * St. Joseph County, Michigan (northeast)
 * LaGrange County (east)
 * Noble County (southeast)
 * Kosciusko County (south)
 * Marshall County (southwest)
 * St. Joseph County (west)

Cities

 * Elkhart
 * Goshen
 * Nappanee

Towns

 * Bristol
 * Middlebury
 * Millersburg
 * Wakarusa

Census-designated places

 * Dunlap
 * New Paris
 * Simonton Lake

Other unincorporated communities

 * Benton
 * Bonneyville Mills
 * Foraker
 * Jimtown
 * Locke
 * Midway
 * New Paris
 * Southwest
 * Vistula
 * Waterford Mills

Economy
Elkhart County is known as "The RV Capital of the World" because of its substantial recreational vehicle-based economy. Farming also plays a big role in the local economy. Tourism boosts the county's economy. Destinations such as Das Dutchman Essenhaus in Middlebury and Amish Acres in Nappanee along with annual events such as the Elkhart Jazz Festival, the Amish Acres Arts & Crafts Festival, and the Elkhart County 4-H Fair draw thousands of tourists annually. The Fair is the second largest county fair in the United States.

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Goshen have ranged from a low of 17 °F in January to a high of 85 °F in July, although a record low of -24 °F was recorded in January 1984 and a record high of 102 °F was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.77 in in February to 4.05 in in June.

Government
The county is led by a board of three elected commissioners that serve as the executive branch of county government. The board also serves as the legislative branch in that it is responsible for ordinances. The county council is made of seven elected members - one from each of the four council districts and three at large. The council is in charge of all monetary issues including appropriations and taxes. There are Township Assessors for Baugo, Cleveland, Concord, Elkhart, Middlebury, and Osolo townships and a County Assessor to handle the remaining townships.

Elkhart County is part of Indiana's 2nd congressional district; Indiana Senate districts 9, 11, and 12; and Indiana House of Representatives districts 21, 22, 48, 49, and 82. Elkhart County has consistently been a Republican Party stronghold in presidential elections. In only three elections since 1888 has a Republican candidate failed to win the county, most recently in 1964.

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 197,559 people, 70,244 households, and 50,542 families residing in the county. The population density was 426.5 PD/sqmi. There were 77,767 housing units at an average density of 167.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 82.9% white, 5.7% black or African American, 1.0% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 7.5% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 14.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 28.4% were German, 10.2% were Irish, 7.6% were English, and 7.6% were American.

Of the 70,244 households, 38.1% had children under 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.0% were non-families, and 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.76, and the average family size was 3.23. The median age was 34.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697, and the median income for a family was $53,742. Males had a median income of $41,891 versus $29,496 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,187. About 10.2% of families and 13.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.5% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.

Amish and Mennonite communities
In 2020,the Amish and Mennonite population was 11,006 or 5.3% of the total population.

Roads
The Indiana Toll Road (Interstates 80/90) runs through the northern fringes of the county. Elkhart has two interchanges (exits 92 & 96) while Bristol (exit 101) and Middlebury (exit 107) have one apiece. U.S. Route 20 skirts the southern edges of Elkhart as the St. Joseph Valley Parkway until the freeway ends at the County Road 17 interchange. U.S. 20 continues eastward as a regular surface highway. County Road 17 is known as the "Michiana Parkway" and provides a connection between Goshen, U.S. 20, S.R. 120, the Elkhart East interchange (Exit 96) on the Toll Road, and US 12 in Michigan via M-217.

U.S. Highways 6, 33, and 131 also run through the county along with Indiana State Highways 4, 13, 15, 19, 119, and 120. U.S. 33 was once part of the original Lincoln Highway.

Other forms
A bus system known as the Interurban Trolley serves several municipalities throughout Elkhart County, connecting Elkhart and Goshen, as well as Osceola, Dunlap and Mishawaka, using buses that look like trolley cars. These buses are manufactured at government expense in RV facilities of Elkhart County. The county's only Amtrak and Greyhound bus stations are in Elkhart.

Elkhart, Nappanee, and Goshen all have municipal airports. Amtrak makes four daily stops in Elkhart.

Education
The county has seven public school districts, seven private schools, and one college. Several other colleges have satellite campuses in the city of Elkhart.

Public schools
The Elkhart Community Schools, the largest district, serves the populated northwest side of the county. The system includes fourteen elementary schools (Beardsley, Bristol, Cleveland, Eastwood, Hawthorne, Mary Beck, Mary Daly, Mary Feeser, Monger, Osolo, Pinewood, Riverview, Roosevelt STEAM Academy, and Woodland), three middle schools (North Side, Pierre Moran, and West Side), two high schools (Central and Memorial), which in 2020 merged into a singular Elkhart High School, one alternative school (Tipton Street Center), and the Elkhart Area Career Center.

The Middlebury Community Schools serve the northeast side of the county. This system includes four elementary schools (Jefferson, Middlebury, Orchard View, and York), one intermediate school (Heritage), one middle school, and one high school both named Northridge.

The Fairfield Community Schools serve the county's southeast corner. This system includes three elementary schools (Benton, Millersburg, and New Paris) and a junior-senior high school named Fairfield.

The Wa-Nee Community Schools serve the southwest portion of the county. This system consists of three elementary schools (Nappanee, Wakarusa, and Woodview), a middle school, and a high school both named NorthWood.

The Baugo Community Schools serve the west-central part of the county. This system is made up of an elementary, an intermediate, a junior high, and a high school each named Jimtown.

The Concord Community Schools serve the southeast side of the city of Elkhart and northwest Goshen. This system consists of four elementary schools (East Side, Ox Bow, South Side, and West Side), an intermediate school, a junior high school, and a high school; all named Concord.

Finally, the Goshen Community Schools serve the central part of Elkhart County. This system is made up of seven elementary schools (Chamberlain, Chandler, Model, Parkside, Prairieview, Waterford, and West Goshen), a middle and a high school all named Goshen.

Private schools
In addition to the public schools, there are nine private schools in the county. Kessington Christian School (grades PK-12) is in Bristol; Elkhart Christian Academy (grades K-12), Trinity Lutheran School (grades K-8), St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School (grades PK-8), and St. Thomas the Apostle School (grades K-8) are in Elkhart; while Bethany Christian (grades 4–12), Bashor Alternative School (grades 4–10), St. John the Evangelist Catholic School (grades PK-6), and Clinton Christian School (grades K-12) are in Goshen.

Higher education
Elkhart County has six institutions for higher learning, two of which are solely located in the county: Goshen College, a small Mennonite liberal arts college of 1000 students in Goshen; and the Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, which has been operating on Elkhart's south side since 1958.

The city of Elkhart has four satellite campuses within its city limits. Bethel College of Mishawaka has a small satellite campus on the south side, Indiana Institute of Technology has a small operation on Middlebury Street, Indiana University South Bend has its "Elkhart Center" downtown, and Ivy Tech Community College has a campus as well.

County parks and lands
Bonneyville Mill Park consists of 223 acre of rolling hills, marshes, and woodlands on the Little Elkhart River east of Bristol. The park offers hiking trails, fishing spots, shelters, and guided tours of Bonneyville Mill. The mill is still used to produce flour.

Ox Bow Park sits on 113 acre overlooking the Elkhart River midway between Elkhart and Goshen. The park offers hiking trails, shelters, disc golf, and an archery range.

River Preserve Park is 1050 acre located between Benton and the Goshen Dam also on the Elkhart River. The park also offers several trails and shelters and provides insight into the history of Indiana's waterways.

Treasure Island Park offers fishing and canoe access to the St. Joseph River west of Elkhart while the Turkey Creek (two miles south of Goshen) and Wolf Lake (two miles north of Goshen) sites have no public access but are described as "future parks."

The cities and towns of Elkhart County also have numerous parks and greenways.

Museums

 * Bonneyville Mill, in the park of the same name east of Bristol, shows the inner workings of a grain mill.
 * Bristol is home to the Elkhart County Historical Museum.
 * The Jimtown Historic Museum depicts life in the 19th century.
 * The Midwest Museum of American Art is in Elkhart and has over 2500 works in its collection.
 * The National New York Central Railroad Museum in Elkhart tells the history of the New York Central, Penn Central, Amtrak and Conrail railroads.
 * The RV/MH Hall of Fame & Museum is on the northeast side of Elkhart.
 * Ruthmere is a grand 1910 Beaux Arts mansion with significant fine arts and decorative arts collections, an arts reference library, vintage automobiles, gardens, and a greenhouse. Collections include works of art by Rodin, Camille Claudel, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Samuel Morse, Jane Stuart, and other important European and American artists of the 19th and early 20th century.
 * "Time Was", a small historical museum that interprets life in late 19th and early 20th century Elkhart and includes collections of print material, photographs, objects, and general memorabilia.

Sports team
Elkhart's North Side Gymnasium was home to the Elkhart Express International Basketball League team. However, after (2) winning seasons, the Express ceased to exist in 2009.

Annual events

 * Bristol holds an annual Homecoming Festival during the first week of July and nearby Bonneyville Mill Park hosts a harvest celebration every September.
 * Elkhart hosts the Elkhart Jazz Festival and the Rhapsody in Green Summer celebration. Both take place in June.
 * Goshen plays host to First Fridays events on the first weekend of every month throughout the year. Thousands visit downtown Goshen each year to attend the varied festivals which take place each month.
 * Middlebury holds a Summer Festival every August.
 * Nappanee and Amish Acres host the Amish Acres Arts & Crafts Festival at the end of July.
 * Wakarusa hosts an annual Maple Syrup Festival every April.
 * The newly renovated Lerner Theater (the former ELCO Theater), in Elkhart, the Goshen Linway Plaza Theater, and the Amish Acres Round Barn Theater in Nappanee sits on 40 acres of rural Amish land and is host to live theater productions throughout the year.

All of these events draw in many people every year, but the biggest event, by far, in the county is the Elkhart County 4-H Fair. This nine-day event is one of the largest county fairs in the United States.

Media
The Elkhart Truth and The Goshen News are the two daily newspapers that serve the county while Bristol, Middlebury, and Nappanee all have weekly newspapers.

Elkhart County lies in the South Bend-Elkhart television market, the 89th largest in the United States. One television station, WSJV-TV (Fox), is located in Elkhart along with several radio stations including WTRC, WLEG, WFRN and WVPE (NPR). Radio Stations WKAM and Goshen College's WGCS are located in Goshen.

Notable media mentions

 * On Palm Sunday 1965, a flurry of severe weather moved through the county. After three tornadoes (one was a twin tornado), 66 people had died in Elkhart County. 137 would die on this day statewide.
 * In 1999, officer Thomas Goodwin became Goshen's first, and to date, only police officer killed in the line of duty.
 * The Accra-Pac Factory in Elkhart had two fatal explosions, in 1976 and 1997.
 * On December 6, 2001, Goshen received national news coverage due to a shooting at the Nu-Wood factory. The gunman killed one co-worker, wounded six others, and then killed himself.
 * Much of Devil's Playground, an Amish coming-of-age documentary by director Lucy Walker, was filmed in Elkhart and Lagrange Counties.
 * On February 9, 2009 U.S. President Barack Obama held a town hall meeting at Concord High School in Elkhart to discuss the economic downturn and promote his economic stimulus package. He chose Elkhart because it had one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation.

Notable people

 * Edward Bonney (1807–1863), detective, bounty hunter, and city planner of the defunct town of Bonneyville, present-day Bonneyville Mill County Park, in Bonneyville Mills
 * Frederick A. Herring, a Textile manufacturer, evangelist, dissident in Elberfeld (Rhineland) / physician and botanist in Goshen (1812–1908)

title: Elkhart County, Indiana