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Vigo County, Indiana

Vigo County is a county on the western border of the U.S. state of Indiana. According to the 2020 United States Census, it had a population of 106,153. Its county seat is Terre Haute.

Vigo County is included in the Terre Haute metropolitan area.

The county contains four incorporated settlements with a total population of nearly 63,000, as well as several unincorporated communities. It is divided into twelve townships which provide local services to the residents.

The county was once regarded as one of the best bellwether regions for voting in U.S. presidential elections; it voted for the winning candidate in every election from 1956 to 2016 and in all but three elections since 1888. Until the streak ended in 2020, only one county in the United States, Valencia County, New Mexico, had voted for the winning candidate longer.

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

Starting in 1794, Native American titles to Indiana lands were extinguished by usurpation, purchase, or war and treaty. The United States acquired land from the Native Americans in the 1809 treaty of Fort Wayne, and by the treaty of St. Mary's in 1818 considerably more territory became property of the government. These two treaties resolved the occupation issue for the future Vigo County. Whites had been living in the area since 1811, when General Harrison erected a fort north of present-day Terre Haute. After the Indian skirmishes were resolved, settlers arrived in significant numbers beginning 1815.

The area in present-day Vigo County was first placed under local jurisdiction in 1790, when Knox County was created. This all-encompassing county was repeatedly subdivided as its lands were occupied − on December 30, 1816, a portion was partitioned to create Sullivan County, and on January 21, 1818, the northern portion of Sullivan was partitioned off to create Vigo County. The first county commissioners organized the government in 1818, including naming Terre Haute as its seat. The county's borders changed several times; in 1821, part of the county was formed into Parke County, and later that year Putnam County was formed which also affected Vigo's borders. The final change came in 1873 when the present boundaries were defined. The county is named for Colonel Francis Vigo, of Italian heritage but a citizen of Spain due to residence in St. Louis. He is credited with assisting George Rogers Clark, both in financing Clark's exploration and American Revolutionary War efforts, and in service as an agent obtaining military information for Clark against British campaigns on the then frontier.

Geography
To the north of Vigo County, the Wabash River defines the boundary between Vermillion and Parke counties; the river then enters Vigo County and winds to the south-southwest, defining the southern portion of the county's western border with Illinois before continuing south along Sullivan County's western border. Vigo County is thus the southernmost county in Indiana on the right bank of the Wabash. The county's low hills are devoted to agriculture or urban development; only the drainages and river-adjacent areas are still wooded. Its highest point (680 ft ASL) is Sanford Hill, 1 mi west of Paint Mill Lake, south of Terre Haute.

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 410.45 sqmi, of which 403.31 sqmi (or 98.26%) is land and 7.14 sqmi (or 1.74%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Vermillion County - north
 * Parke County - northeast
 * Clay County - east
 * Sullivan County - south
 * Clark County, Illinois - southwest
 * Edgar County, Illinois - northwest

Cities

 * Terre Haute (county seat)

Towns

 * West Terre Haute
 * Seelyville
 * Riley (or Lockport)

Census-designated places

 * Dresser (or Taylorville)
 * Fontanet
 * New Goshen
 * North Terre Haute
 * Shepardsville
 * Tecumseh
 * Toad Hop

Unincorporated communities

 * Allendale
 * Atherton
 * Barnhart Town
 * Blackhawk
 * Brown Jug Corner
 * Burnett
 * Cherryvale
 * Coal Bluff
 * Cobb
 * Dewey
 * Duane Yards
 * East Glenn
 * Ehrmandale
 * Ferguson Hill
 * Glenn Ayr
 * Gospel Grove
 * Grange Corner
 * Harrison
 * Hickory Island
 * Hutton
 * Keller
 * Larimer Hill
 * Lewis
 * Libertyville
 * Liggett
 * Marion Heights
 * Markles
 * Otter Creek Junction
 * Parkview
 * Pimento
 * Pine Ridge
 * Prairie Creek
 * Prairieton
 * Preston
 * St. Mary-of-the-Woods
 * Sandcut
 * Sandford
 * Shirkieville
 * Southwood
 * Spelterville
 * Spring Hill
 * State Line
 * Swalls
 * Tabertown
 * Taylorville
 * Terre Town
 * Twelve Points
 * Vigo
 * West New Goshen
 * Whitcomb Heights
 * Woodgate
 * Youngstown

Townships
The year after it was authorized, Vigo County was divided into four townships: Honey Creek Wabash, Harrison, and Independence. Prairie Creek Township was formed later that year. Otter Creek, Raccoon, and Sugar Creek townships were created in 1820, and Independence Township was renamed as Paris Township. Raccoon and Wabash townships became part of Parke County when it was partitioned from Vigo County in 1821. Nevins and Riley townships were formed in 1822. In 1824, Paris Township was renamed again to Fayette Township. Pierson Township was created in 1829; Lost Creek in 1831; Linton in 1841; and Prairieton Township in 1857.

 * Fayette Township
 * Harrison Township
 * Honey Creek Township
 * Linton Township
 * Lost Creek Township
 * Nevins Township
 * Otter Creek Township
 * Pierson Township
 * Prairie Creek Township
 * Prairieton Township
 * Riley Township
 * Sugar Creek Township

Highways
Interstate 70 passes through the southern part of Terre Haute from east to west on its way from Indianapolis to Saint Louis, Missouri; U.S. Route 40 roughly parallels Interstate 70 and passes through the middle of the city. Both highways intersect U.S. Route 41, coming from Chicago to the north; U.S. Route 150 enters from Paris, Illinois to the northwest and joins U.S. Route 41 in downtown Terre Haute, and both continue south toward Vincennes and Evansville.
 * [[Image:indiana 42.svg|20px]] State Road 42
 * [[Image:indiana 46.svg|20px]] State Road 46
 * [[Image:indiana 63.svg|20px]] State Road 63
 * [[Image:indiana 159.svg|25px]] State Road 159
 * [[Image:indiana 246.svg|25px]] State Road 246
 * [[Image:indiana 340.svg|25px]] State Road 340
 * Indiana 641.svg State Road 641

Rail
Several CSX Transportation railroad lines meet in Terre Haute; one enters from the north, another from the Indianapolis area, and another from Vincennes; and two others enter from Illinois. An Indiana Rail Road line runs southeast from Terre Haute toward Bedford.

Airports
The following public-use airports are located in the county:
 * Terre Haute Regional Airport (HUF) in Terre Haute
 * Sky King Airport (3I3) in North Terre Haute

Education
The public schools in the county are part of the Vigo County School Corporation. During the 2009–10 school year, the schools served a total of 16,014 students.

Vigo County is served by the Vigo County Public Library.

Colleges in Vigo County include Indiana State University and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. For a fuller list, see the List of schools in metropolitan Terre Haute.

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Terre Haute have ranged from a low of 18 °F in January to a high of 87 °F in July, although a record low of -24 °F was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of 104 °F was recorded in September 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.13 in in January to 4.46 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. The county council is the fiscal body of the county government and controls spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives, elected to four-year terms from county districts, are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.

A board of commissioners is the executive and legislative body of the county. Commissioners are elected county-wide to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute the acts of the county council, and manage the county government.

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

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

Politics
The county has been regarded as one of the best bellwether regions in U.S. presidential elections. Between 1888 and 2016, it voted for the winning candidate in every election in all but two instances: 1908 and 1952. In 2020, its bellwether status came to an end when national winner Joe Biden lost the county by nearly 15 points to Donald Trump.

The results in the county have often mirrored the nationwide popular vote. In every presidential election from 1960 to 2012, the county voted less than five percentage points from the national result. In 2020, Donald Trump received 56.3 percent of the vote which was the best result for a Republican since Ronald Reagan in 1984 who received 58.4 percent of the vote.

In statewide races for governor and the U.S. Senate, Vigo County has in recent years become more receptive to candidates from the Democratic Party, even when the county had simultaneously voted for a Republican presidential victor in question. The county has gone Democratic in 9 of the last 10 gubernatorial races since 1980, and in 8 of the last 13 Senate races since that timeframe also.

Vigo is part of Indiana's 8th congressional district, which is held by Republican Larry Bucshon.

2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 107,848 people, 41,361 households, and 25,607 families in the county. The population density was 267.4 PD/sqmi. There were 46,006 housing units at an average density of 114.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 88.3% white, 6.9% black or African American, 1.7% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.6% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 22.6% were German, 20.2% were American, 12.2% were Irish, and 10.3% were English.

Of the 41,361 households, 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.1% were non-families, and 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 36.1 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $50,413. Males had a median income of $42,014 versus $30,217 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,398. About 13.3% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.5% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.

title: Vigo County, Indiana


text:
Vermillion County, Indiana

Vermillion County lies in the western part of the U.S. state of Indiana between the Illinois border and the Wabash River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,439. The county seat is Newport. It was officially established in 1824 and was the fiftieth Indiana county created. Vermillion County is included in the Terre Haute, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county contains seven incorporated towns with a total population of about 9,900. as well as several unincorporated communities; it is also divided into five townships which provide local services. An interstate highway, two U.S. routes, and five state roads cross the county, as does a major railroad line.

History
The first settlers in the area arrived in 1816, the same year that the state of Indiana was established. Vigo County was formed in 1818 and included the area that later became Parke and Vermillion counties. In 1821, Parke County was formed, and on January 2, 1824, the Indiana General Assembly created Vermillion County out of Parke County; the act took effect on February 1. The county seat was established at Newport later that year.

The county was named for the southbound Vermilion River, which flows nearby. The name is spelled in the French/Commonwealth English style with a double letter "l", in contrast to the American English spelling of the adjacent Vermilion County, Illinois. This is one of only a few cases in the United States in which a county borders a county with the same name in another state.

The first courthouse was a frame building. The contract was awarded in June 1824 for $345 and was to be completed by the following November; it was used for county business until a brick building could be constructed. The brick courthouse was contracted in 1831; the completed building was used until January 29, 1844, when the building caught fire. It was repaired and served until 1868 when a third courthouse was built at a cost of $30,000; a west wing was added in 1903 at a cost of $28,000. That building was struck by lightning early on the morning of May 27, 1923, and was largely destroyed by fire. Construction on the fourth (and current) courthouse began that same year; Halbert Fillinger and John Bayard were the architects. The stone building was constructed by Jasper Good of Columbus at a cost of $358,707, and the new courthouse was dedicated on June 11, 1925.

The Newport Hill Climb was first held in 1909. The event was started and stopped several times over the years, but the Newport Lions Club now runs the Newport Antique Auto Hill Climb; it has been held continuously since the 1960s and involves several hundred cars each year.

On January 26, 2017, the wooden grandstand at the Vermillion County Fairgrounds was destroyed by a massive fire. The wooden grandstand was built in 1933 as a WPA work project, and was the oldest wooden grandstand in Indiana. The Cayuga Fire Department said that the cause of the fire is suspicious.

Geography
Vermillion County is less than 10 mi from east to west at its widest point, but it extends over 37 mi from north to south. It shares a 6.5 mi border with Warren County to the north. Its eastern border is defined by the Wabash River. Fountain and Parke counties lie across the river to the northeast and southeast, respectively. Vermillion County is the southernmost county in Indiana entirely on the right bank of the Wabash. Vigo County, from which Parke and Vermillion counties were formed, lies to the south. The county's western border is shared with the state of Illinois. To the northwest lies Vermilion County, Illinois; its county seat, Danville, is west of the northern border of Vermillion County. To the southwest is Edgar County; its county seat, Paris, is west of Vermillion County's southern border. The state capital of Indianapolis lies about 65 mi to the east.

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 259.93 sqmi, of which 256.88 sqmi (or 98.83%) is land and 3.05 sqmi (or 1.17%) is water. The Vermillion River, for which the county was named, enters from Illinois to the west and crosses the county to empty into the Wabash River near Cayuga. Forests cover about 23% of the county, or about 37865 acre, and consist principally of deciduous hardwoods among which maple–beech and oak–hickory forests are the most common.

At a meeting of the board of commissioners on March 23, 1824 (the same year the county was formed), four townships were created: Clinton, Helt, Highland, and Vermillion. Later, Eugene Township was created out of portions of Highland and Vermillion; the north end of Highland Township became part of Warren County.

There are seven incorporated towns in Vermillion County. Cayuga is located near the confluence of the Vermillion and Wabash rivers, along State Road 63 just west of its intersection with State Road 234. Clinton is the largest settlement in the county with a population of about 5100, and lies further to the south along the Wabash River, between it and State Road 63; State Road 163 passes through the town to reach U.S. Route 41 on the east side of the river. Fairview Park is just north of Clinton; State Road 63 passes through the north end of the town. Dana is a small town just north of the intersection of U.S. Route 36 and State Road 71. Newport is located just east of State Road 63, a few miles south of Cayuga; it is the county seat, although it is one of the smallest towns in the county. Perrysville is also located along the Wabash River, on State Road 32 just east of its intersection with State Road 63. Universal is in the far southern part of the county, west of State Road 63.

In addition to the towns, there are also many unincorporated communities. Helt Township has more than any other township and includes the communities of Alta, Bono, Highland, Hillsdale, Jonestown, Saint Bernice, and Summit Grove. Clinton Township contains Blanford, Centenary, Klondyke, and Syndicate. Highland Township includes Flat Iron, Gessie, Rileysburg, and Tree Spring. Eugene Township, which contains Cayuga, has just one unincorporated community: Eugene, which is just north of Cayuga.

At least three other communities once existed in Vermillion County but have since become extinct: Quaker, Randall, and Toronto.

Climate
Vermillion 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, temperatures in Newport have ranged from an average low of 15 °F in January to a high of 85 °F in July, although a record low of -26 °F was recorded in 1994, and a record high of 105 °F was recorded in 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.80 in inches in February to 4.53 in inches in June.

Transportation
Interstate 74 passes from east to west through the north end of the county; U.S. Route 136 does so as well, about 1.5 mi further to the north. U.S. Route 36 crosses the south part of the county on its way from Rockville to Chrisman, Illinois, passing just south of Dana.

State Road 32 runs from the state line through Perrysville and continues east toward Crawfordsville. State Road 63 runs the length of the county from north to south on its way to Terre Haute in the south; State Road 71 begins at State Road 63 near Newport and runs southwest, then south through Dana and Bono before ending at Blanford. There, State Road 163 runs east through Clinton to join U.S. Route 41 on the east side of the Wabash River. State Road 234 runs from the Indiana border through Cayuga, continuing east through Kingman in Fountain County.

CSX Transportation operates a railroad line running from Danville, Illinois to Terre Haute. This line runs most of the length of Vermillion County from north to south, passing through Rilesyburg, Cayuga, and Clinton before crossing the Wabash River. Another CSX line coming from Decatur, Illinois, enters the county from the west and meets the north–south line near Hillsdale. The 6 mi Vermilion Valley Railroad passes through the very north edge of the county on its way from the Flex-N-Gate factory west of Covington to Danville, Illinois.

Airport
The county has three small airports, the Clinton Airport, located in Clinton, Gessie Airport located in Gessie, and Universal Heli Port located in Universal. The Indianapolis International Airport is located about 65 mi to the east.

Economy
Vermillion County's economy is supported by a labor force of approximately 7,924 workers with an unemployment rate in December 2010 of 12.5%. Government jobs make up 13% of the county's employment. Manufacturing accounts for 12.4%, and construction 10%, while 8.5% of the county's jobs relate to farming.

Private employment by company
The largest private employers in Vermillion County as of 2017 are as follows. This list excludes franchises, retail, and majority part-time employers.

Education and health care
The administration of public schools in Vermillion County is divided between two entities. The North Vermillion Community School Corporation administers North Vermillion Junior-Senior High School and North Vermillion Elementary School, both located just north of Cayuga along State Road 63. The South Vermillion Community School Corporation administers schools located in Clinton, including South Vermillion High School, South Vermillion Middle School, and three elementary schools: Central, Ernie Pyle, and Van Duyn. It also manages the Parke Vermillion Education and Training Interlocal (PVETI) in Hillsdale.

There are no colleges or universities within Vermillion County, but there are several nearby. Indiana State University is a public four-year college in Terre Haute in neighboring Vigo County, about 30 mi to the south of Newport. Rose–Hulman Institute of Technology, a smaller private college also in Terre Haute, specializes in teaching engineering, mathematics, and science. Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana has 23 campuses throughout the state; the nearest to Vermillion County is in Terre Haute.

The Vermillion County Public Library has branches in Cayuga, Newport, and Dana. In 1909 a Carnegie library was built in Clinton; it was expanded in 1947 and in 1953. In the early 1990s it was determined that an entirely new building was needed, and this was completed in 1994.

Union Hospital, located in Terre Haute to the south, operates a hospital in Clinton.

Notable people
Henry Dana Washburn was born in Vermont in 1832; in 1850 he moved to Vermillion County, studied law, and opened a practice in Newport in 1853. He served in the Civil War on the Union side as a lieutenant colonel and later as a general; after the war he was elected to the United States House of Representatives and served through 1869. In 1870 he headed an expedition which explored the area that later became Yellowstone National Park. He died 1871 in Clinton and is buried at Riverside Cemetery.

Claude Matthews was the governor of Indiana from 1893 to 1897. He was born in Kentucky in 1845; he moved to Vermillion County in 1867 and became a prominent farmer. He was elected Indiana Secretary of State in 1890, and governor in 1893. He died in 1898 in Indianapolis and is buried in Clinton; he was 52 years old.

Ernie Pyle was born on a farm near Dana in 1900. He served for three months in the United States Navy Reserve at the end of World War I; after the war he attended Indiana University but left before graduating to take a newspaper job. He served for several years as the managing editor at the Washington Daily News, and later became the nation's first aviation columnist. He began as a roving correspondent in 1935, and became a war correspondent when the United States entered World War II. His work during the war earned him a Pulitzer Prize. He died in combat in 1945.

Ken Kercheval was born in Clinton in 1935 and became an actor in 1962; he is best known for his role as "Cliff Barnes" in the television series Dallas.

Dana Lewman lived in Vermillion County until she was six. She is best known for the Breaking Good podcast. The five-part series chronicles her early life and teenage summers in various towns within the county, including Dana and Clinton.

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

County Council: The county council is the fiscal body of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. The 7 representatives are elected from 4 county districts and 3 at-large positions. 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 six 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. Each of the townships has a trustee who administers rural fire protection and ambulance service, provides poor relief and manages cemetery care, among other duties. The trustee is assisted in these duties by a three-member township board. The trustees and board members are elected to four-year terms.

Based on 2000 census results, Vermillion County is part of Indiana's 8th congressional district, the 38th Indiana Senate district, and the 42nd Indiana House of Representatives district.

Townships

 * Clinton
 * Eugene
 * Helt
 * Highland
 * Vermillion

Cities and Towns

 * Cayuga
 * Clinton
 * Dana
 * Fairview Park
 * Newport
 * Perrysville
 * Universal

Census-Designated Places

 * Blanford
 * Saint Bernice

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 16,212 people, 6,619 households, and 4,533 families residing in the county. The population density was 63.1 PD/sqmi. There were 7,488 housing units at an average density of 29.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.3% white, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.3% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 24.7% were American, 19.5% were German, 11.0% were Irish, 9.8% were English, and 7.9% were Italian.

Of the 6,619 households, 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.5% were non-families, and 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age was 41.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $50,743. Males had a median income of $41,620 versus $30,168 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,178. About 11.8% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.9% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.

List of Sheriffs

 * Parties

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

title: Vermillion County, Indiana


text:
Vanderburgh County, Indiana

Vanderburgh County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 180,136. The county seat is in Evansville. While Vanderburgh County was the eighth-largest county in 2020 population in Indiana, it is also the eighth-smallest county in area and the smallest in southwestern Indiana, covering only 236 sqmi. Vanderburgh County forms the core of the Evansville metropolitan statistical area.

History
Vanderburgh County was formed on January 7, 1818, from Gibson, Posey, and Warrick counties. It was named for Captain Henry Vanderburgh, Revolutionary War veteran and judge for the Indiana Territory.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has an area of 236.33 sqmi, of which 233.48 sqmi (or 98.79%) is land and 2.86 sqmi (or 1.21%) is water.

Regional

 * Illinois–Indiana–Kentucky tri-state area
 * Southwestern Indiana

Townships
(2000 population)

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Evansville have ranged from a low of 25 F in January to a high of 91 F in July, although a record low of -17 F was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 109 F was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.96 in in October to 4.78 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 fiscal branch of the county government that has the legislative responsibilities for the spending and revenue collection in the county. Four representatives are elected from county districts and three are elected at-large by the entire county. 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 but must live within the district of the seat they hold, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.

Court: The county has eight state trial courts of original jurisdiction. One circuit court and seven superior courts. The judges offices are non-partisan with terms of six years. A judge must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judges are assisted by magistrates that are appointed. 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.

Vanderburgh County is generally a Republican-leaning swing county in presidential elections. Only two Democratic candidates - George McGovern in 1972 and Hillary Clinton in 2016 - have failed to win 40 percent of the county's vote since 1928. The city of Evansville itself is a swing city; it voted for Donald Trump in 2016 by 4 points, and four years later for Joe Biden, also by 4 points. In 2020, former Evansville mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel (a Democrat) carried the county in his bid for the office of Attorney General but lost statewide.

The county is located in the 8th congressional district, which was notoriously dubbed "The Bloody Eighth" because of its tendency to oust incumbents from both parties - since 1933, no Congressman has represented the district longer than 12 years in a row.

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 179,703 people, 74,454 households, and 45,118 families residing in the county. The population density was 769.7 PD/sqmi. There were 83,003 housing units at an average density of 355.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 86.2% white, 9.1% black or African American, 1.1% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.0% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 32.3% were German, 18.3% were American, 11.7% were Irish, and 9.4% were English.

Of the 74,454 households, 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 39.4% were non-families, and 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.93. The median age was 37.5 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $57,076. Males had a median income of $42,663 versus $31,037 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,945. About 10.7% of families and 15.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.4% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The entire county is in the Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation.

title: Vanderburgh County, Indiana


text:
Union County, Indiana

Union County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 7,087. The county seat is Liberty.

Since 2018, Union County has been included in the Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located on the Indiana-Ohio border.

History
Prior to cession to the United States government, this area belonged to and was inhabited by peoples of the Chippewa, Delaware, Eel River, Kaskaskia, Kickapoo, Miami, Ottawa, Piankishaw, Potawatomi, Shawnee, Wea, and Wyandot tribes.

The future state of Indiana was first regulated by passage of the Northwest Ordinance in 1787. In 1790 the Territory was divided into two counties, with Knox covering much of present-day Indiana. The area later known as Union County was included in lands ceded to the U.S. government in two treaties: in 1795 with the Treaty of Greenville and in 1809 with the Treaty of Fort Wayne.

In 1810, a portion of Knox was partitioned to create Wayne County; in 1811 a portion further south was partitioned to create Franklin. The area between those two counties was partitioned in 1818 to create Fayette; by the 1820s the eastern part of Fayette County was sufficiently populated to warrant separate representation. Thus on January 5, 1821, the state legislature authorized the creation of Union County, with areas ceded from Wayne County, Fayette County and Franklin County. The organization of the new county's governing structure began on February 1, 1821.

It was so named because it united parts of Fayette, Franklin and Wayne counties. The first non-native settlers were from Laurens District, South Carolina. John Templeton was the first settler to enter land at the Cincinnati land office in what would become Harmony Township, Union County, Indiana. The first county seat was Brownsville, a small community on the East Fork of the Whitewater River. The seat was moved in 1824 to Liberty, a central location. The primary industry of Union County was and is farming.

Geography
Union County lies on the east side of Indiana; its east border abuts the state of Ohio. Its low rolling hills have now been cleared of timber, although drainage areas are still largely brush-filled. The area is devoted to agricultural or recreational uses. The highest point on the terrain (1140 ft ASL) is a rise near the county's north border, 1.0 mi ENE from Witts Station.

Silver Creek flows southwestward through the northeastern part of the county, discharging into Whitewater Lake. The East Fork of Whitewater River flows southward through the upper western part of the county, discharging into Brookville Lake. The lower part of the county is drained by Dubois Creek, flowing westward into Brookville Lake.

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 165.18 sqmi, of which 161.22 sqmi (or 97.60%) is land and 3.95 sqmi (or 2.39%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Wayne County – north
 * Preble County, Ohio – east
 * Butler County, Ohio – southeast
 * Franklin County – south
 * Fayette County – west

Major highways

 * [[Image:US 27.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 27
 * [[Image:indiana 44.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 44
 * [[Image:indiana 101.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 101
 * [[Image:indiana 227.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 227

Lakes

 * Brookville Lake (part)
 * Whitewater Lake

Protected areas

 * Whitewater Memorial State Park

Quakertown State Recreation Area

Incorporated towns

 * Liberty (county seat)
 * West College Corner

Unincorporated communities

 * Billingsville
 * Brownsville
 * Charlottesville
 * Clifton
 * Cottage Grove
 * Dunlapsville
 * Five Points
 * Goodwins Corner
 * Hopeville
 * Kitchel
 * Lotus
 * Philomath
 * Quakertown
 * Roseburg
 * Salem
 * Witts Station
 * Yankee Town

Townships

 * Brownsville
 * Center
 * Harmony
 * Harrison
 * Liberty
 * Union

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Liberty 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.

Court: The county maintains a circuit court that can handle all case types. The judge of the court is 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 appeals court.

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

2010 Census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 7,516 people, 2,938 households, and 2,117 families in the county. The population density was 46.6 PD/sqmi. There were 3,239 housing units at an average density of 20.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 97.5% white, 0.4% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.3% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 26.2% were German, 16.0% were Irish, 11.9% were English, and 11.6% were American.

Of the 2,938 households, 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 27.9% were non-families, and 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.99. 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 $49,815. Males had a median income of $39,603 versus $27,394 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,243. About 8.2% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.2% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education
All of Union County is served by the Union County–College Corner Joint School District, the only joint state school district in the state.

Notable people

 * Ambrose Everett Burnside (1824–1881), soldier, railroad executive, inventor, industrialist, politician
 * Thomas W. Bennett (territorial governor) (1831–1893), governor of Idaho Territory 1871–1875; born in Union County
 * Hiram Rhodes Revels (1827–1901), first African-American member of the US Senate, representing Mississippi 1870–1871; attended the Union County Quaker Seminary.
 * Bill Bartlett (fl. 1970s-2010s), musician, guitarist for Ram Jam
 * Jay Hall Connaway (1893–1970), Realist painter
 * Mary Alice Smith (1850-_), aka Little Orphant Annie
 * Bob Jenkins (1947–2021), television and radio sports announcer for ESPN/ABC Sports
 * Edward E. Moore (1866–1940), Indiana state senator and Los Angeles City Council member
 * Joaquin Miller American poet, author, and frontiersman

title: Union County, Indiana


text:
Tipton County, Indiana

Tipton County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana, located north of the state capital of Indianapolis. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 15,359. Its county seat is Tipton. The county has four incorporated towns with a total population of about 7,000, as well as many small unincorporated communities. It is divided into six townships which provide local services. Three Indiana state roads and one U.S. Route cross the county, as do two railroad lines. Before the arrival of non-indigenous settlers in the early 19th century, the area was inhabited by several Native American tribes. The county was officially established in 1844, one of the last Indiana counties to be settled. Tipton and Howard Counties were established by the same legislative action on January 15.

History
Prior to the arrival of non-indigenous settlers in the 1830s, the area of Tipton County was inhabited by the Miami and Delaware tribes. Tipton County was formed in 1844. It was named for John Tipton, a soldier of the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. Tipton served as United States Senator for Indiana from 1831 until shortly before his death in 1839. The first murder in the county occurred in October 1851. Harvey Moon killed Andrew Hornbeck with a knife. Moon was tried in Indianapolis, as a jury could not be empaneled in Tipton County. He was sentenced to five years in prison. He escaped prison and was not recaptured.

Courthouse
The first Tipton County Courthouse was a two-story frame building. It was planned in early 1845 and was completed by the end of the year at a cost of about $1200. It was expanded the following year. By 1858 a new courthouse was needed, and the brick building was completed by 1859 at a cost of approximately $15,000. The present courthouse was designed by Adolph Sherrer. He had taken over the Indiana Statehouse project when architect Edwin May died in 1880; five years after the completion of that project in 1888, Scherrer began work on the Tipton building, which was built of sandstone in a Romanesque style with a clock tower of 206 feet elevation including the flagstaff on top. It was built 1893-94 by Pierce and Morgan of Indianapolis at a cost of $170,988. It is one of several Romanesque courthouses dating from the 1890s that are still in use.

Geography
Tipton County falls near the center of Indiana. Most of the county consists of level till plain with elevations from 850 ft to 900 ft above sea level. Prior to settlement by non-indigenous people, it was mostly covered with dense forests consisting of oak, beech, maple, walnut, hickory, sycamore and tulip trees. The southern part of the county has better natural drainage, and this area was first cleared for agriculture. Much of the rest of the county tended to be swampy due to the level ground and lack of sufficient natural waterways, so drainage channels had to be dug to make the land suitable for farming. According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 260.57 sqmi, of which 260.54 sqmi (or 99.99%) is land and 0.03 sqmi (or 0.01%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Clinton County – west
 * Grant County - northeast
 * Hamilton County – south
 * Howard County – north and northwest
 * Madison County – east and southeast

Incorporated communities

 * Tipton – the county seat, near the county center. Its 2010 population was 5,106.
 * Kempton – near the western border, in Jefferson Township. Its 2010 population was 335.
 * Sharpsville – near the northern border, in Liberty Township. Its 2010 population was 607.
 * Windfall - in northeast corner of the county, in Wildcat Township. Its 2010 population was 708.

The city of Elwood lies in Madison County to the east and extends slightly over the border; as of the 2000 census, seven Elwood residents lived in Tipton County.

Unincorporated communities

 * Curtisville
 * East Union
 * Ekin
 * Goldsmith
 * Groomsville
 * Hobbs
 * Jackson
 * Nevada
 * New Lancaster
 * Normanda
 * Tetersburg
 * West Elwood

Townships

 * Cicero
 * Jefferson
 * Liberty
 * Madison
 * Prairie
 * Wildcat

Climate and weather
Tipton 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 Tipton have ranged from a low of 15 °F in January to a high of 83 °F in July, although a record low of -25 °F was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 98 °F was recorded in July 1999. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.67 in in February to 4.24 in in June. From 1950 through 2009, 13 tornadoes were reported in Tipton County, resulting in two deaths and several injuries; the total estimated property damage was over $3 million.

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 15,936 people, 6,376 households, and 4,517 families residing in the county. The population density was 61.2 PD/sqmi. There were 6,998 housing units at an average density of 26.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 97.6% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.1% American Indian, 0.7% 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, 28.5% were German, 14.5% were American, 12.3% were English, and 9.6% were Irish. Of the 6,376 households, 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.2% were non-families, and 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.93. The median age was 42.6 years. The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $61,115. Males had a median income of $42,763 versus $29,832 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,499. About 3.3% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Tipton County's economy is supported by a labor force of about 7700 workers with an unemployment rate in December 2015 of 3.8%.

Agriculture
Historically, Tipton County's economy has been agriculturally based. In 1914, the county had 2,067 working farms and 166,400 acres of farm land. The early settlers raised corn, wheat, oats, rye, flax, and potatoes, with alfalfa in the prairie areas. Fruit was profitable in the county before 1880, but blight lessened yield and fruit growing nearly halted. The Tipton County Agricultural Society was organized in August 1855. They held the first county fair that October. It was described as a "failure," and was followed by another unsuccessful fair the following year. That organization was dissolved, another formed, only to be dissolved again. A third organization, the Tipton County Joint-Stock Agricultural Society formed in 1874. That organization eventually failed and finally, the Tipton County Fair Company was formed in 1879. By the early 20th century, corn and wheat were primary crops.

Banking
Vickrey Bank, founded in the 1880s, was the county's first bank. It became Union Bank, and later Farmers Loan and Trust. In 1876, the Tipton County Bank was founded. It merged with First National Bank in 1902. Other county banks included Citizens National Bank (1898), Farmers Loan and Trust Company (1906), People's State Bank (1892), Sharpsville Bank (1902), and State Bank of Kempton (1900). None of these banks exists today. Farmers' State Bank was formed in 1914 and remains in business today as First Farmers Bank & Trust.

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 all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms and 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.

A board of commissioners forms the county's executive body. They are elected county–wide, in four–year staggered terms. One commissioner serves as board president. The board executes the acts legislated by the council, collects revenue, and manages the day-to-day running of county government. The county maintains a small claims court for civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court. The county has 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 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. Tipton County is part of Indiana's 5th congressional district; Indiana Senate districts 20 and 21; and Indiana House of Representatives districts 32 and 35.

History
In 1889, county schools had a total enrollment of 6,225. There were a total of 84 schools across the county. The majority of teachers were male, totaling 81 male and 19 female teachers. They were paid approximately $2 per day. By 1914, the school enrollment totaled 3,701 students, with 65 schools across the county. There were five high schools located across the township in Sharpsville, Tipton, Kempton, Goldsmith and Windfall. There were 218 teachers. They were paid $3.19 a day.

Present
Tipton County has six schools, managed by three school corporations. The Tipton Community School Corporation includes an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school, all located in Tipton; these schools served a total of 1,821 students during the 2009–2010 school year. In the north part of the county, Tri-Central Community Schools (formerly Northern Community Schools) includes an elementary school and Tri-Central Middle/High School, both located in Sharpsville; these schools served a total of 970 students in 2009–2010. Saint John the Baptist School was located in Tipton and was part of the Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Schools; it was an elementary school and served 82 students during the 2009–2010 school year., but it closed in 2014 due to declining enrollment.

Media
The county's first newspaper was the Tipton County Democrat in 1855. It became the Western Dominion in 1857. In 1858, G.W. Fisher bought the paper and changed its name to the Tipton County Times. The paper's name was changed again in 1862 to the Democratic Union, and then back to the Tipton County Times in 1869. The Tipton Republican was founded in 1860. The newspaper closed when the editor in chief joined the Union Army. Other early newspapers included the Enterprise (1872), the Tipton Advance, (1874), a second Tipton Republican (1876), The Advocate (1878), the Windfall Herald (1891), the Kempton Courier (1907), the Saturday Express (1882), and the Windfall News (1876). None of these papers exists today. The Tipton County Tribune was founded in 1895. The paper continues to be published today.

Highways

 * US Route 31 – runs north–south through the middle–western part of the county, passing through Tetersburg.
 * State Road 19 – runs north–south through the middle of the county, passing through Tipton.
 * State Road 28 – runs east–west through the lower central part of the county, passing through Tipton.
 * State Road 213 – runs north–south through the middle–eastern part of the county, passing through Windfall.

Though they do not run through the county, three other state roads touch its southeastern corner:
 * State Road 13 – runs north to the SE corner of Tipton County, then NE to Elwood, in Madison County.
 * State Road 37 – runs concurrently with State Road 13 in this area running toward Elwood.
 * State Road 128 – intersects State Road 13/31 at the SE corner of Tipton County.

Railroads
Two Norfolk Southern Railway routes run through the county. One line connects Muncie in the east with Frankfort in the west. The other connects Logansport and Kokomo in the north with Indianapolis in the south. The two lines intersect in Tipton.

Notable people from Tipton County

 * Charles Benjamin "Babe" Adams (1882–1968) – born in Tipton. Baseball player (pitcher) for Saint Louis Cardinals (1906) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1907–1926).
 * John Bunch (1921–2010) – born in Tipton. Jazz pianist with Woody Herman, Benny Goodman and Maynard Ferguson. Music composer.
 * Donald Bertrand Tresidder (April 7, 1894 – January 28, 1948) was the president of Stanford University from 1943 until 1948 and brought the school through the difficult years of World War II. Prior to his work at Stanford, he headed the Yosemite Park and Curry Co.

title: Tipton County, Indiana


text:
Tippecanoe County, Indiana

Tippecanoe County is a county located in the west-central portion of the U.S. state of Indiana about 22 miles east of the Illinois state line and less than 50 miles from the Chicago and the Indianapolis metro areas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 186,251. The county seat and largest city is Lafayette. It was created in 1826 from Wabash County portion of New Purchase and unorganized territory.

Tippecanoe County was formed March 1, 1826, and named for the anglicization of "Kiteepihkwana", a Miami people term meaning "place of the buffalo fish people." The county is best known for Purdue University, the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe, and the Tippecanoe County Courthouse, a structure built in 1881 and included in the National Register of Historic Places.

Tippecanoe County is part of the Lafayette, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
The history of Tippecanoe County spans six distinct political and cultural periods: Native American lands from at least 8000BC, including the Mississippian culture, French occupation (part of New France beginning in the 1670s), British occupation starting in 1763, part of the United States Northwest Territory in 1787, part of Indiana Territory in 1800, and finally part of the State of Indiana in 1816. The political organization of the county began in 1826 by the act of the Indiana Legislature.

The first European explorers arrived in the 1670s and the first permanent settlement was Fort Ouiatenon by the French established in 1717. Lafayette was platted in 1825 and Purdue University founded in 1869.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 503.24 sqmi, of which 499.81 sqmi (or 99.32%) is land and 3.44 sqmi (or 0.68%) is water. The county's highest point is in the Lauramie Township.

Adjacent counties

 * White County (north)
 * Carroll County (northeast)
 * Clinton County (east)
 * Montgomery County (south)
 * Fountain County (southwest)
 * Warren County (west)
 * Benton County (northwest)

Cities

 * Lafayette
 * West Lafayette (home of Purdue University)

Towns

 * Battle Ground
 * Clarks Hill
 * Dayton
 * Otterbein (east half)
 * Shadeland

Census-designated places

 * Americus
 * Buck Creek (formerly Transitville)
 * Colburn (formerly Chapmanville)
 * Montmorenci (formerly Bringham's Grove)
 * Stockwell (formerly Lauramie)
 * West Point (formerly Middleton)

Other unincorporated places

 * Ash Grove
 * Cairo
 * Concord
 * Delp
 * Eastwich
 * Glen Hall
 * Monroe (formerly Huntersville)
 * Octagon
 * Odell
 * Old Halfway
 * Pettit
 * Romney (formerly Columbia)
 * Taylor

Extinct

 * Archerville
 * Beeville
 * Chauncey (consolidated into West Lafayette)
 * Corwin
 * Columbus
 * Cincinnatus
 * Clarksburg
 * Cleveland
 * Conroe
 * Erie
 * Florentine
 * Fulton (absorbed by Lafayette)
 * Gerard
 * Granville (aka Weaton)
 * Heath
 * Harrisonville (consolidated into Battle Ground)
 * Kingston (consolidated into West Lafayette)
 * LaGrange
 * Linwood (absorbed by Lafayette)
 * Little Chicago
 * Monitor (formerly Cynthyana)
 * New Market
 * North Crane
 * Oakland (absorbed by Lafayette)
 * Ouiatenon
 * Polk-White Corners
 * Prairieville
 * Sidney
 * South Raub
 * Sugar Grove
 * Sunberry
 * Texas
 * Wheeler's Grove
 * Wyandot
 * Yorktown

Townships

 * Fairfield
 * Jackson
 * Lauramie
 * Perry
 * Randolph
 * Sheffield
 * Shelby
 * Tippecanoe
 * Union
 * Wabash
 * Washington
 * Wayne
 * Wea

Climate and weather
In recent years, temperatures in Lafayette have ranged from an average low of 17 °F in January to a high of 86 °F in July, although a record low of -23 °F was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 105 °F was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.58 in inches in February to 4.24 in inches in June.

Highways

 * [[Image:I-65.svg|20px]] Interstate 65
 * [[Image:US 52.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 52
 * [[Image:US 231.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 231
 * [[Image:indiana 25.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 25
 * [[Image:indiana 26.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 26
 * [[Image:indiana 28.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 28
 * [[Image:indiana 38.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 38
 * [[Image:indiana 43.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 43
 * [[Image:indiana 225.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 225

Railroads
Three different railroad lines intersect in Tippecanoe County, all running through the Lafayette area. CSX Transportation operates a north–south line; Norfolk Southern Railway operates a southwest-to-northeast line, and the Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad operates a daily-service line running from the northwest to the southeast.

The Amtrak Cardinal stops at the Lafayette Station 3 times a week, and is the only provider of passenger rail service to Greater Lafayette.

Airport
The county contains one public-use airport: Purdue University Airport (LAF) in West Lafayette, Indiana.

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

County Council: The county council is the fiscal branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. The county council and the board of commissioners share legislative authority. 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.

Politics
In the 2008 Democratic primary, Tippecanoe County was one of 10 (out of 92) Indiana counties to give the majority of its votes to Barack Obama. In the 2008 presidential election, Tippecanoe County was one of 15 Indiana counties to give the majority of its votes to Obama/Biden. Thanks to the sizable support of Purdue University students, Tippecanoe County played a pivotal role in Barack Obama's upset win in Indiana (49.9%-49.0%; 1,367,264 votes to 1,341,101 votes) by supporting the Democratic ticket of Barack Obama/Joe Biden 55.1%-43.5% over the Republican ticket of John McCain/Sarah Palin. However, in the 2020 presidential election, Tippecanoe County also voted for Democrat Joe Biden by a margin of 436 votes, the first time since 2008 the county went for the Democrats.

Historically, Tippecanoe has been somewhat conservative for a county dominated by a college town. While most such counties swung hard to the Democrats in the 1990s Obama's win in 2008 was only the fourth time it went Democratic in a presidential election since 1888.

Tippecanoe County is one of only thirteen counties to have voted for Obama in 2008, Romney in 2012, Trump in 2016, and Biden in 2020.

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 172,780 people, 65,532 households, and 37,003 families residing in the county. The population density was 345.7 PD/sqmi. There were 71,096 housing units at an average density of 142.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 84.0% white, 6.2% Asian, 4.0% black or African American, 0.3% American Indian, 3.3% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.5% were German, 13.9% were Irish, 10.8% were English, and 6.1% were American.

Of the 65,532 households, 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 43.5% were non-families, and 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.02. The median age was 27.7 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $60,367. Males had a median income of $45,018 versus $31,995 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,203. About 10.3% of families and 20.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.2% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Public schools in rural/suburban Tippecanoe County are administered by the Tippecanoe School Corporation, while those in the cities are under either the Lafayette School Corporation or West Lafayette Community School Corporation. Purdue and Ivy Tech each have campuses at other sites in Indiana.

Libraries
 * Tippecanoe County Public Library
 * West Lafayette Public Library

Universities and colleges
 * Purdue University
 * Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana

High Schools
 * TSC - Elston Alternative Education Center
 * LCSS - Lafayette Central Catholic Jr/Sr High School
 * LSC - Lafayette (city) Jefferson High School
 * LSC - Lafayette (city) Oakland High School
 * TSC - Lafayette (suburban—south) McCutcheon High School
 * WLCSC - West Lafayette (city) West Lafayette Junior-Senior High School
 * TSC - West Lafayette/Lafayette (suburban—north) Harrison High School

Middle Schools/Junior High Schools
 * Lafayette Sunnyside Middle School
 * Lafayette Tecumseh Junior High School
 * TSC (Harrison) Battle Ground Middle School
 * TSC (Harrison) East Tipp Middle School
 * TSC (Harrison) Klondike Middle School
 * TSC (McCutcheon) Southwestern Middle School
 * TSC (McCutcheon) Wainwright Middle School
 * TSC (McCutcheon) Wea Ridge Middle School
 * West Lafayette Junior-Senior High School

Elementary Schools
 * Lafayette Edgelea Elementary School
 * Lafayette Glen Acres Elementary School
 * Lafayette Miami Elementary School
 * Lafayette Miller Elementary School
 * Lafayette Murdock Elementary School
 * Lafayette (charter) New Community School
 * Lafayette Vinton Elementary School
 * TSC (Harrison) Battle Ground Elementary School
 * TSC (Harrison) Burnett Creek Elementary School
 * TSC (Harrison) Hershey Elementary School
 * TSC (Harrison) Klondike Elementary School
 * TSC (McCutcheon) Dayton Elementary School
 * TSC (McCutcheon) James Cole Elementary School
 * TSC (McCutcheon) Mayflower Mill Elementary School
 * TSC (McCutcheon) Mintonye Elementary School
 * TSC (McCutcheon) Wea Ridge Elementary School
 * TSC (McCutcheon) Woodland Elementary School
 * TSC (Harrison/McCutcheon) Wyandotte Elementary School
 * West Lafayette Elementary School
 * West Lafayette Intermediate School

Private Schools
 * Apostolic Christian Academy
 * Concord School
 * Faith Christian School
 * First Assembly Christian Academy
 * Highland Christian School k-8
 * Lafayette Catholic Schools k-12
 * Lafayette Christian School k-8
 * Lafayette Faith Baptist
 * Lighthouse Baptist Christian Academy
 * Pleasantview Christian School
 * St Boniface 4-6
 * St James Lutheran k-8
 * St Mary Cathedral Elementary K-3

Economy
Much of the economy of Tippecanoe County is centered in its two largest communities: Lafayette and West Lafayette. Purdue University is by far the largest employer in the county, but private industry and commerce independent of the university also employ many others. Major employers include Subaru-Indiana Automotive, Wabash National, Caterpillar, Fairfield Manufacturing, Franciscan Health Lafayette, Alcoa, State Farm, and Indiana University Health Arnett Hospital.

Notable people

 * Jesse Lloyd

title: Tippecanoe County, Indiana


text:
Switzerland County, Indiana

Switzerland County is a county in the southeast corner of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 9,737. The county seat is Vevay, one of two incorporated towns in the county.

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

Starting in 1794, Native American titles to Indiana lands were extinguished by usurpation, purchase, or war and treaty. The United States acquired land from the Native Americans in the 1809 treaty of Fort Wayne, and by the treaty of St. Mary's in 1818, the SE portion of Indiana Territory was acquired for settlement.

The area included in present-day Switzerland County was first placed in Knox County, formed in 1790. Parts of that extremely large county were partitioned off in 1803 to form Dearborn County and in 1810 to form Jefferson County. Settlers had been pouring into the extreme SE part of the Indiana Territory starting in 1795, and by 1814 there was sufficient population to form a local governing body. Accordingly, the state legislature authorized Switzerland County effective October 1, 1814, partitioning portions of Dearborn and Jefferson counties to make the creation. Four fledgling settlements were considered as the seat of government (Vevay, Little York [present-day Florence], Troy [present-day Patriot], and Center Square). Center Square was nearest the geographic center and was the presumed site, but Vevay carried the day.

Several early settlers were originally from Switzerland. The first was probably Heathcoat Pickett, in 1795. He was followed by John James Dufour (1796), and the Dickason, Cotton, and Rayl families in 1798. Pickett also made the area's first flatboats; he floated them (loaded with goods for sale) to New Orleans and sold the entire package, then walked back to Switzerland County. He made 20 such trips. Early county residents noted the passage of the first steamboat on the Ohio River in 1811; this form of transport quickly transformed the river into a conduit for commerce and travel. Although Indiana was criss-crossed with railroad tracks during the nineteenth century, none was laid to Switzerland County. This hindered its growth after the decline of steamboat travel.

Industrial wine grape production in Switzerland County earned the area the title "The Rhineland of America".

Geography
Switzerland County lies at the SE tip of Indiana, with its southeastern border defined by the Ohio River; the state of Kentucky abuts on the opposite shore. Its rolling hills were originally completely wooded. Its more flat areas have been cleared for agricultural or urban use, but its many drainages are still wooded. Its highest elevation (981 ft ASL) is a hill in its NW quadrant, 0.7 mi west of Avonburg.

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 223.44 sqmi, of which 220.63 sqmi (or 98.74%) is land and 2.81 sqmi (or 1.26%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Ohio County - north
 * Boone County, Kentucky - northeast
 * Gallatin County, Kentucky - east
 * Carroll County, Kentucky - south
 * Jefferson County - west
 * Ripley County - northwest

Incorporated towns

 * Patriot
 * Vevay (county seat)

Unincorporated towns

 * Aaron
 * Allensville
 * Antioch
 * Avonburg
 * Bennington
 * Braytown
 * Center Square
 * East Enterprise (census-designated place)
 * Fairview
 * Florence (census-designated place)
 * Five Points
 * Gurley Corner
 * Jacksonville
 * Lamb
 * Long Run
 * Markland
 * Moorefield
 * Mount Sterling
 * Pleasant
 * Quercus Grove
 * Searcy Crossroads

Townships

 * Cotton
 * Craig
 * Jefferson
 * Pleasant
 * Posey
 * York

Highways

 * [[Image:indiana 56.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 56
 * [[Image:indiana 101.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 101
 * [[Image:indiana 129.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 129
 * [[Image:indiana 156.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 156
 * [[Image:indiana 250.svg|20px]] Indiana State Road 250

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Vevay have ranged from a low of 23 °F in January to a high of 88 °F in July, although a record low of -24 °F was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of 106 °F was recorded in July 1999. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 3.00 in in February to 4.72 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 the county government.

Court: The county maintains a circuit court which was established January 1, 2009. The first Judge of the Switzerland Circuit Court is W. Gregory Coy. The Judge is elected to a term of six years. The Court is a general jurisdiction court, meaning it handles all types of cases. The Judge must be a licensed attorney. All decisions of the Court are appealable to the Indiana Court of Appeals or the Indiana Supreme Court.

County Officials: The county has other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. They 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.

Switzerland County is part of Indiana's 6th congressional district.

2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 10,613 people, 4,034 households, and 2,847 families in the county. The population density was 48.1 PD/sqmi. There were 4,969 housing units at an average density of 22.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 97.8% white, 0.3% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.7% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 25.4% were German, 16.1% were American, 13.2% were Irish, and 10.1% were English.

Of the 4,034 households, 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.4% were non-families, and 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.07. 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 $51,769. Males had a median income of $39,167 versus $30,814 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,214. About 11.0% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.2% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

title: Switzerland County, Indiana


text:
Sullivan County, Indiana

Sullivan County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana, and determined by the US Census Bureau to include the mean center of U.S. population in 1940. As of 2020, the population was 20,758. The county seat (and the county's only incorporated city) is Sullivan.

Sullivan County is included in the Terre Haute, Indiana, metropolitan statistical area.

History
On February 25, 1779, Col. George Rogers Clark captured Fort Sackville at Vincennes from the British. About 6 mi west at Pointe Coupee on the Wabash River on March 2, 1779, Capt. Leonard Helm commanding three boats and 50 volunteers from Vincennes captured a reinforcement fleet of seven boats carrying 40 soldiers and valuable supplies and Indian trade goods. This small naval battle completed the destruction of British military strength in the Wabash Valley.

The county's first settlement occurred between 1808 and 1812, by a religious society of celibates known as Shakers. The 400 members of this communal group occupied 1300 acre, 7 mi west of Carlisle.

General William Henry Harrison’s army made its last camp in Sullivan County at Big Springs on September 29, 1811. Harrison used Benjamin Turman's fort as his headquarters. With spring water available, it was an ideal location for 1000 men, including 160 dragoons and 60 mounted riflemen. A Kentucky soldier killed a fellow Kentuckian, Clark, either accidentally or in a grudge fight. The deceased was buried at the top of a hill that became the Mann Turman Cemetery. General Harrison and his troops continued north on the Wea Indiana Trail to build Fort Harrison and then proceeded to the Battle of Tippecanoe.

A War of 1812 military action occurred in September 1812, 3 mi west−southwest of Sullivan County. While escorting supplies from Fort Knox near Vincennes to Fort Harrison at Terre Haute, Sergeant Nathan Fairbanks and approximately a dozen soldiers were ambushed - and most killed - by Indians.

In 1815, Carlisle was founded.

An act of the Indiana legislature dated December 30, 1816, created Sullivan County, with areas partitioned from Knox County. The effective date of the new government was January 15, 1817, with interim commissioners charged to begin organizing the new government in February. It was named for Daniel Sullivan, a prominent frontiersman killed in 1790 by Native Americans while carrying a dispatch between Fort Vincennes and Louisville.

A log courthouse in Merom served as Sullivan County's first county seat from 1819 to 1842. Merom was an important river port and a stop on the stage route known as The Old Harrison Trail. William Henry Harrison's troops camped near here on their 1811 march to the Battle of Tippecanoe.

Pioneer heroine of abdominal surgery Jane Todd is buried in Sullivan County. Born in Virginia in 1763, she and her husband, Thomas Crawford, moved to Green County, Kentucky, in 1805. Suffering from a huge abdominal tumor, she rode 60 mi to Danville, Kentucky, to submit to a never−before−performed surgical procedure. On Christmas Day 1809, Dr. Ephraim McDowell performed the first ovariotomy, in his home. The ordeal lasted 25 minutes. There was no anesthesia. Mrs. Crawford recovered completely and years later came to Graysville to live with her son, Thomas, a Presbyterian minister. She died in 1842 at age 78. The restored McDowell home in Danville, Kentucky, is a surgical shrine.

Sullivan was founded in 1853 and became the county seat.

Dedicated in 1862, Union Christian College served as a preparatory school and college until 1924. In 1936 it became Merom Institute—a rural enrichment center. Now owned by the United Church of Christ, it serves as a camp, conference, and retreat center.

Numerous violent conflicts erupted in Sullivan County during the American Civil War over differing war sentiments. On July 14, 1864, anti-war Democrat John Drake was fatally shot at a community picnic near here.

In November 1902, a mob abducted James Dillard from the Sullivan County sheriff, John S. Dudley, as he was being taken to Sullivan. After kidnapping Dillard, they lynched him. In response to the lynching, Governor Winfield Durbin dismissed the sheriff - a decision which was in line with Indiana's 1899 anti-lynching law. However, Sheriff Dudley ultimately remained in office after he and other officials entered into a legal battle about the decision.

Organized nationally to bring culture to rural communities, Merom's 10-day religious and educational Chautauqua event featured concerts, debates, plays, and lectures. Carrie Nation, William Jennings Bryan, William Howard Taft, Warren G. Harding, and Billy Sunday were among its speakers.

In 1968, the Sullivan County Park and Lake was created. It contains a 468 acre reservoir for swimming, boating, and fishing. The lake is stocked with crappie, hybrid saugeye, bass, bluegill, and channel catfish. Water skiing is popular. Sullivan County Park and Lake has 400 acre of land for camping and a 9-hole golf course. The campground offers sites ranging from primitive camping to space for motor homes.

Geography
Sullivan County lies on the west edge of Indiana; its western border abuts the state of Illinois (across the Wabash River). The meanders of the Wabash delineate the county's west border. The upper part of the county is drained by Turtle Creek, which flows southwestward into the river. The lower part of the county is similarly drained by Busseron Creek.

The county's abundant woods were largely cleared and devoted to agriculture during the nineteenth century. At present only the drainages remain wooded. Its highest point (640 ft ASL) is a small rise 6 mi east of Carlisle.

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 454.12 sqmi, of which 447.14 sqmi (or 98.46%) is land and 6.97 sqmi (or 1.53%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Vigo County − north
 * Clay County − northeast
 * Greene County − east
 * Knox County − south
 * Crawford County, Illinois − west
 * Clark County, Illinois − northwest

Protected areas

 * Elliott Woods State Nature Preserve
 * Greene-Sullivan State Forest (part)
 * Redbird State Recreation Area (part)
 * Shakamak State Park (part)
 * Sullivan County Park and Lake
 * Turtle Creek Reservoir

City

 * Sullivan - county seat

Towns

 * Carlisle
 * Dugger
 * Farmersburg
 * Hymera
 * Merom
 * Shelburn

Unincorporated communities

 * Baker
 * Baldridge
 * Benefiel Corner
 * Bucktown
 * Cass
 * Curryville
 * Dodds Bridge
 * East Shelburn
 * Fairbanks
 * Gambill
 * Gilmour − part
 * Glendora
 * Graysville
 * Greenville
 * Hawton
 * Jackson Hill
 * Jericho
 * Lewis − part
 * Massacre
 * Merom Station
 * New Lebanon
 * Paxton
 * Pleasantville
 * Riverton
 * Riverview
 * Scotchtown
 * Scott City
 * Shiloh
 * Standard
 * Stringtown
 * Wilfred

Ghost towns

 * Caledonia
 * Farnsworth

Townships

 * Cass
 * Curry
 * Fairbanks
 * Gill
 * Haddon
 * Hamilton
 * Jackson
 * Jefferson
 * Turman

Major highways

 * [[Image:US 41.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 41
 * [[Image:US 150.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 150
 * [[Image:indiana 48.svg|20px]] State Road 48
 * [[Image:indiana 54.svg|20px]] State Road 54
 * [[Image:indiana 58.svg|20px]] State Road 58
 * [[Image:indiana 63.svg|20px]] State Road 63
 * [[Image:indiana 154.svg|20px]] State Road 154
 * [[Image:indiana 159.svg|20px]] State Road 159

Airport
The county contains one public-use airport, the Sullivan County Airport (SIV) at Sullivan.

Economy
Peabody Energy Corporation The Bear Run mine is the largest surface mine in the eastern U.S. and was expected to produce 12 million tons of coal per year. The mine employed 500 employees in 2012. However, as national coal demand declined, its production was cut back (to 7.2 million tons in 2016 and 2017, to 6.8 in 2018), and in November 2019 there were further reductions and layoffs.

Education
Sullivan County is served by two school corporations, the Southwest School Corporation and the Northeast School Corporation. The former's high school is Sullivan High School in Sullivan, and the latter's high schools are North Central High School in Farmersburg and Union High School in Dugger. Union Christian College formerly operated in Merom.

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Sullivan have ranged from a low of 18 °F in January to a high of 85 °F in July, although a record low of -33 °F was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 98 °F was recorded in July 1999. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.58 in in February to 4.69 in in July.

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

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

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

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

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

2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 21,475 people, 7,823 households, and 5,422 families in the county. The population density was 48.0 PD/sqmi. There were 8,939 housing units at an average density of 20.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 93.7% white, 4.5% black or African American, 0.3% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 20.8% were German, 19.8% were American, 10.3% were Irish, and 9.7% were English.

Of the 7,823 households, 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.7% were non-families, and 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age was 39.8 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $52,558. Males had a median income of $44,645 versus $26,335 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,093. About 8.5% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.9% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

title: Sullivan County, Indiana


text:
Steuben County, Indiana

Steuben County is a county in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States Census the county population was 34,435. The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Angola. Steuben County comprises the Angola, IN Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History
After the American Revolutionary War established US sovereignty over the territory of the upper midwest, the new federal government defined the Northwest Territory in 1787 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 governor of the territory, and Vincennes was established as the 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.

This area was historically occupied by the Potawatomi people, one of the tribes in the Council of Three Fires. Typically they lived in highly decentralized bands. Treaties signed by some leaders with United States representatives ceded large areas of their territory to the US. Starting in 1794, Native American titles to Indiana lands were extinguished by usurpation, purchase, or war and treaty. The United States acquired land from the Native Americans in the 1809 treaty of Fort Wayne, by the treaty of St. Mary's in 1818, and in 1826 by the Treaty of Mississinewas, which included the future Steuben County.

The Indiana State Legislature passed an omnibus county bill on February 7, 1835, that authorized the creation of thirteen counties in northeast Indiana, including Steuben. In 1837 the county was organized. It was named for Baron Frederick von Steuben, an officer of the American Revolutionary War. In 1840 the Potawatomi were forcibly removed from this area and neighboring territory in Michigan and Ohio to Indian Territory in Kansas.

A Potawatomi chief, Baw Beese, led a band that was based at what later became known as Baw Beese Lake nearby in Michigan. His daughter Winona married Negnaska and lived in what is now Indiana. She was executed in the 1830s by her husband's people after she killed Negnaska for selling her pony. Winona's husband had pledged his rifle to Aaron B. Goodwin of Fremont for the use of a 5-gallon keg. The Indians had the keg filled with whiskey at Nichols' store in Jamestown, and he took all the money they had. Negnaska sold his wife Winona's pony in order to pawn his rifle. Winona owned the pony outright, either as a gift from her father or having bought it with her own money. She killed Negnaska in anger for selling what was hers. Winona was held by the tribe for a few hours until her husband's nearest relative arrived to execute her. As was their custom, he stabbed her to the heart as she had her husband.

John D. Barnard and Sheldon Havens encountered the Potawatomi group after the execution; they helped them move the bodies to a nearby grave that had been dug. The Indians did not bury the bodies until after the white men were out of sight. But Dr. B.F. Sheldon found out about it and exhumed the bodies for dissection a few days later, outraging the mourning Potawatomi. About two weeks later some Potawatomi returned the keg to Goodwin and tried to retrieve Negnaska's rifle, but Goodwin pretended not to know the man had been killed and refused to release the rifle to his friends.

Geography
The county's low rolling hills have been largely cleared and leveled for agricultural use, although the drainage areas are still wooded. The highest point (1,200 ft ASL) is a hillock 1 mi east of Glen Eden.

The county contains a state park and 105 lakes of various sizes. Some of the larger lakes are Lake James, Lake George, Clear Lake, Jimmerson Lake, Lake Gage, and Crooked Lake.

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 322.47 sqmi, of which 308.94 sqmi (or 95.80%) is land and 13.53 sqmi (or 4.20%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Branch County, Michigan - north
 * Hillsdale County, Michigan - northeast
 * Williams County, Ohio - east
 * DeKalb County - south
 * Noble County - southwest
 * LaGrange County - west

Major highways

 * [[Image:Indiana Toll Road logo 1968.png|20px]] [[Image:I-80.svg|20px]] [[Image:I-90.svg|20px]] Indiana Toll Road (Interstate 80 and Interstate 90)
 * [[Image:I-69.svg|20px]] Interstate 69
 * [[Image:US 20.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 20
 * [[Image:indiana 1.svg|20px]] State Road 1
 * [[Image:indiana 120.svg|20px]] State Road 120
 * [[Image:indiana 127.svg|20px]] State Road 127
 * [[Image:indiana 327.svg|20px]] State Road 327
 * [[Image:indiana 427.svg|20px]] State Road 427
 * [[Image:indiana 827.svg|20px]] State Road 827

City and towns

 * Angola (city/county seat)
 * Ashley
 * Clear Lake
 * Fremont
 * Hamilton
 * Hudson
 * Orland

Unincorporated communities

 * Alvarado
 * Berlien
 * Clarks Landing
 * Cold Springs
 * Courtney Corner
 * Crooked Lake
 * Ellis
 * Flint
 * Forest Park
 * Fountain Park
 * Glen Eden
 * Helmer
 * Indian Hills
 * Inverness
 * Island Park
 * Jamestown
 * Lake James
 * Lakeside Park
 * Meadow Shores Park
 * Metz
 * Moonlight
 * Nevada Mills
 * Oakwood
 * Otsego Center
 * Page
 * Panama
 * Penn Park
 * Pleasant Lake
 * Ravinia Oaks
 * Ray
 * Russels Point
 * Salem Center
 * Steubenville
 * Turkey Creek
 * Westview
 * Wildwood
 * York

Townships

 * Clear Lake
 * Fremont
 * Jackson
 * Jamestown
 * Millgrove
 * Otsego
 * Pleasant
 * Richland
 * Salem
 * Scott
 * Steuben
 * York

Protected areas

 * Cedar Lake Wetlands Conservation Area
 * Marsh Lake Wetlands State Fish and Wildlife Area
 * Pokagon State Park

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Angola have ranged from a low of 14 °F in January to a high of 82 °F in July, although a record low of -27 °F was recorded in January 1981 and a record high of 106 °F was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.83 in in February to 4.08 in in August.

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

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

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

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

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

Steuben County is part of Indiana's 3rd congressional district.

Steuben County is very Republican at the Presidential level. The only time it voted for a Democrat was for Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, and it was narrow.

2010 Census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 34,185 people, 13,310 households, and 9,153 families in the county. The population density was 110.7 PD/sqmi. There were 19,377 housing units at an average density of 62.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 96.8% white, 0.5% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.9% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 37.8% were German, 12.6% were English, 10.5% were Irish, and 8.2% were American.

Of the 13,310 households, 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.2% were non-families, and 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age was 40.2 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $57,154. Males had a median income of $40,833 versus $29,614 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,950. About 7.7% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.4% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

Colleges and universities

 * Trine University

School districts

 * Fremont Community Schools
 * Hamilton Community Schools
 * M S D of Steuben County
 * Prairie Heights Community School Corporation

Notable people

 * Edgar "Pop" Buell (1913–1980), humanitarian aid worker in Laos in the 1960s and 1970s, was born in Richland Township and farmed there until he joined International Voluntary Services in 1960.
 * Sile Doty (1800-1876), infamous robber, burglar, horse thief, highwayman, counterfeiter, and criminal gang leader.

title: Steuben County, Indiana