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Lake County, Indiana

Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. In 2020, its population was 498,700, making it Indiana's second-most populous county. The county seat is Crown Point. The county is part of Northwest Indiana and the Chicago metropolitan area, and contains a mix of urban, suburban and rural areas. It is bordered on the north by Lake Michigan and contains a portion of the Indiana Dunes. It includes Marktown, Clayton Mark's planned worker community in East Chicago.

Early settlement
Originally inhabited by the Potawatomi and generations of indigenous ancestors, Lake County was established by European Americans on February 16, 1837. From 1832 to 1836 the area that was to become Lake County was part of La Porte County. From 1836 to 1837 it was part of Porter County. It was named for its location on Lake Michigan. The original county seat was Liverpool, but in 1840 Lake Court House, later renamed as Crown Point, was chosen.

Lake County's population grew slowly before the 1850s. Construction of railroads to link Chicago to the rest of the country stimulated rapid development, and tens of thousands of settlers and immigrants bought land in the region. Small-scale industrialization began, but was primarily relegated to the northern coast of the county, where it could take advantage of the railroads along the coast and shipping on the Great Lakes. The 1900 Census gives a population of 37,892 residents.

Industrialization and immigration
Inland Steel Company established a plant in East Chicago in 1903 and U.S. Steel founded one in Gary in 1906; with industrial jobs the demand for labor associated with industrial jobs, the county's population exploded. Immigrants poured into the area from all over Central and Eastern Europe (there was also a smaller Mexican immigrant community). In addition, both black and white migrants came from many regions of the United States, particularly Appalachia and the South. Mostly rural blacks went north in the Great Migration, seeking both industrial jobs and escape from Jim Crow violence and disenfranchisement in the South.

By 1930, Lake County's population surpassed 260,000, with first- and second-generation Americans constituting a majority of the population. The second wave of the Ku Klux Klan gained a large following here in the 1920s, as it did for a time in the rest of Indiana. The KKK organized against the numerous European immigrants, who were mostly Catholic. While the steel industry reigned supreme, other industries also found the county to be an ideal location for cheap land and well-developed transportation networks, such as automobiles, oil, chemicals, consumer goods, food processing, and construction supply companies.

The Great Depression was devastating to Lake County, as it was to other areas with economies based on heavy industry. The Depression, combined with industrial strife, changing demographics, and unionization, caused a realignment of politics in Lake County. It became a stronghold of the Democratic Party; Lake County has supported the Democratic nominee for president in every election since 1932 (exceptions occurred in 1956 and 1972). Indiana's 1st congressional district has elected Democratic candidates in every election since 1930.

World War II restored prosperity, as industry revived to support the war effort. Good economic times continued into the 1970s. During this period, unions helped industrial workers gain middle-class wages. In addition to attracting refugees and immigrants from Europe, black Americans and Mexicans migrated here in the postwar period in even higher numbers than in the 1910-1930 period. As minority populations exploded in such industrial cities as East Chicago and Gary, racial tensions surfaced again. Following construction of state and federal highways, development of cheaper land provided newer housing to middle-class people who could afford it. Both whites and established black families moved out of the aging industrial cities.

Recent history
Lake County's population peaked at 546,000 in 1970. Severe industrial decline took place during the 1973-1991 period, brought on by foreign competition, new management philosophies that called for major workforce reductions, and productivity gains from technology. The decline was particularly intense in the steel industry: steel employment exceeded 60,000 in the 1960s, and declined progressively to just 18,000 by 2015. Lake County's population declined 13% to bottom out at 475,000 in 1990.

The industrial decline of the 1980s cast a long shadow over Lake County: the county did not regain the level of employment it had in 1980 until 1996, after which the employment level roughly flatlined. The county's economic output peaked in 1978, and has not since recovered, remaining 15-20% below the peak after adjusting for inflation. As prosperity declined, so did the immigration that powered the county's explosive population growth before 1950: per the 2000 census, only 5.3% of Lake County's residents were foreign-born, compared to over 11% for the United States as a whole.

The population recovered somewhat during the 1990s and 2000s, as the local economy adjusted. Suburban growth has also been driven by commuter populations of workers who are employed in Chicago and commute via expressways or the South Shore Line. In 2007, it was estimated that 44,000 workers commuted from Lake County, Indiana, to Chicago for work. The decline of industrial cities and growth of suburbs has been so sharp, that by 1990 a majority of the county's population lived outside of the four traditional industrial cities. Lake County still continues to struggle with urban decline and poverty, suburban sprawl and traffic jams, and a stagnating population.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 626.56 sqmi, of which 498.96 sqmi (or 79.63%) is land and 127.60 sqmi (or 20.37%) is water. It is the second-largest county in total area in Indiana, but has the largest water area of all 92 counties.

The northern and southern portions of the county (north of U.S. 30 and south of Lowell) are mainly low and flat, except for a few sand ridges and dunes and were both once very marshy and had to be drained. The lowest point, at 585 ft, is along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

The central part of the county is higher and hillier. As you travel south from the low and relatively flat lake plain in the northern part of the county, the land gradually rises in elevation until the peak of the Valparaiso Moraine. The highest point, at 801 ft, is in northeastern Winfield Township near 109th Street and North Lakeshore Drive in Lakes of the Four Seasons. From here the land descends south into the Kankakee Outwash Plain until the Kankakee River is reached.

The geographic center of Lake County is approximately 200 ft northwest of Burr Street and West 113th Avenue in Center Township 41.41494°N, -87.40397°W.

National protected area

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

Transit

 * East Chicago Transit
 * Gary Public Transportation Corporation (Broadway Metro Express)

Airports

 * Gary/Chicago International Airport
 * Griffith-Merrillville Airport

Major highways
Interstate 65 in Lake County is called the Casimir Pulaski Memorial Highway. Interstate 80/94/US 6 is the Frank Borman Expressway from the Illinois state line east to the Indiana Toll Road interchange in the eastern portion of the county. Interstate 94 has been referred to as the Chicago-Detroit Industrial Freeway. US 6 is part of the Grand Army of the Republic Highway. Broadway (Indiana 53) is also the Carolyn Mosby Memorial Highway. Indiana 51 is known for its entire length as the Adam Benjamin Memorial Highway. US 30 is part of the historic Lincoln Highway. US 12 from Gary eastward is part of Dunes Highway. Cline Avenue (Indiana 912) from US 12 north and westward is known as the Highway Construction Workers Memorial Highway.

• I-65.svg Interstate 65

• I-80.svg Interstate 80

• Indiana Toll Road logo 1968.svg I-90.svg Indiana Toll Road

• I-94.svg Interstate 94

• US 6.svg U.S. Route 6

• US 12.svg U.S. Route 12

• US 20.svg U.S. Route 20

• US 30.svg U.S. Route 30

• US 41.svg U.S. Route 41

• US 231.svg U.S. Route 231

• Indiana 2.svg State Road 2

• Indiana 51.svg State Road 51

• Indiana 53.svg State Road 53

• Indiana 55.svg State Road 55

• Indiana 130.svg State Road 130

• Indiana 152.svg State Road 152

• Indiana 312.svg State Road 312

• Indiana 912.svg State Road 912

Railroads

 * Amtrak
 * Canadian National Railway
 * Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad
 * Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad
 * CSX Transportation
 * Gary Railway
 * Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad
 * Norfolk Southern Railway
 * South Shore Line

Adjacent counties
• Cook County, Illinois (northwest)

• Will County, Illinois (west)

• Kankakee County, Illinois (southwest)

• Porter County (east)

• Jasper County (southeast)

• Newton County (south)

Municipalities
The municipalities in Lake County, and their populations as of the 2020 Census, are:

Cities
• Crown Point – 33,899

• East Chicago – 26,370

• Gary – 69,093

• Hammond – 77,879

• Hobart – 29,752

• Lake Station – 13,235

• Whiting – 4,559

Towns
• Cedar Lake – 14,106

• Dyer – 16,517

• Griffith – 16,528

• Highland – 23,984

• Lowell – 10,680

• Merrillville – 36,444

• Munster – 23,894

• New Chicago – 1,999

• Schererville – 29,646

• Schneider – 269

• St. John – 20,303

• Winfield – 7,181

Census-designated places
(7,091 including portion in Porter County)
 * Lake Dalecarlia – 1,332
 * Lakes of the Four Seasons – 3,936
 * Shelby – 453

Unincorporated communities

 * Ainsworth
 * Belshaw
 * Brunswick
 * Creston
 * Deep River
 * Deer Creek
 * Dinwiddie
 * Green Acres
 * Illinoi (partial)
 * Klaasville
 * Kreitzburg
 * Leroy
 * Liverpool
 * New Elliott
 * Orchard Grove
 * Palmer
 * Range Line
 * Ross
 * Southeast Grove

Townships
The 11 townships of Lake County, with their populations as of the 2020 Census, are:

 * Calumet – 91,970
 * Cedar Creek – 12,725
 * Center – 38,630
 * Eagle Creek – 1,719
 * Hanover – 18,214
 * Hobart – 40,652
 * North – 156,686
 * Ross – 48,529
 * St. John – 68,972
 * West Creek – 7,676
 * Winfield – 12,927

Economy
Despite the decline of heavy industry, manufacturing was still the largest employment sector in Lake County in 2010 with over 45,000 workers employed, followed closely by healthcare and social assistance at 44,000 workers, public administration at 40,000 workers, retail trade at 37,000 workers, accommodation and food services at 25,000 workers, and construction at 15,000 workers.

Lake County's GDP in 2010 was measured at nearly $25 billion. Manufacturing was also the largest sector of the economy in economic terms, contributing over $5.8 billion to the county's GDP in 2010. It was followed by healthcare and social assistance at $2.6 billion, public administration at $2.5 billion, and retail trade at $1.9 billion. While Lake County's average income was approximately 24% higher than the national average in 1978, in 2010 Lake County had fallen significantly behind the United States as a whole, with average income being approximately 12.9% lower. The national average surpassed Lake County sometime around 1986.

Businesses with the largest number of employees in the county are:

 * Americall Group, Inc. – Hobart
 * Ameristar Casino – East Chicago
 * BP Whiting Refinery – Whiting
 * Canadian National Railway – Whiting
 * Cargill – Hammond
 * Cleveland-Cliffs Indiana Harbor Works – East Chicago
 * Community Hospital – Munster
 * Franciscan Alliance, Inc. – locations throughout the region
 * Franciscan Health Hammond – Hammond (closed)
 * Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana – Gary
 * Horseshoe Casino – Hammond
 * Majestic Star Casino – Gary (closed)
 * Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus – Merrillville
 * NiSource – Merrillville
 * Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza – Merrillville (closed)
 * St. Catherine Hospital – East Chicago
 * St. Mary Medical Center – Hobart
 * Times Media Company – Munster
 * Unilever – Whiting
 * U.S. Steel Gary Works – Gary

Public school districts
The administration of public schools in Lake County is divided among 16 corporations and governing bodies, more than any other Indiana county.
 * Crown Point Community School Corporation – Center and Winfield townships
 * Gary Community School Corporation – City of Gary
 * Griffith Public Schools – Town of Griffith
 * Hanover Community School Corporation – Hanover Township
 * Lake Central School Corporation – St. John Township
 * Lake Ridge Schools Corporation – unincorporated Calumet Township
 * Lake Station Community Schools – City of Lake Station
 * Merrillville Community School Corporation – Ross Township
 * River Forest Community School Corporation – Town of New Chicago and some portions of adjacent communities
 * School City of East Chicago – City of East Chicago
 * School City of Hammond – City of Hammond
 * School City of Hobart – City of Hobart within Hobart Township
 * School City of Whiting – City of Whiting
 * School Town of Highland – Town of Highland
 * School Town of Munster – Town of Munster
 * Tri-Creek School Corporation – Cedar Creek, Eagle Creek and West Creek townships

Private schools
Elementary and secondary schools operated by the Diocese of Gary:

 * Andrean High School, Merrillville (9–12)
 * Aquinas School at St. Andrew's, Merrillville (PK–8)
 * Bishop Noll Institute, Hammond (9–12)
 * Our Lady of Grace, Highland (PK–8)
 * St. Casimir, Hammond (PK–8)
 * St. John Bosco, Hammond (PK–8)
 * St. John the Baptist, Whiting (PK–8)
 * St. John the Evangelist, St. John (PK–8)
 * St. Mary, Crown Point (PK–8)
 * St. Mary, Griffith (PK–8)
 * St. Michael, Schererville (PK–8)
 * St. Stanislaus, East Chicago (PK–8)
 * St. Thomas More, Munster (PK–8)

Other parochial and private schools:
 * St. Paul's Lutheran School, Munster (PK–8)
 * Trinity Lutheran School, Crown Point (PK–8)
 * Trinity Lutheran School, Hobart (PK–8)

Colleges and universities

 * Calumet College of St. Joseph
 * Hyles–Anderson College
 * Indiana University Northwest
 * Ivy Tech Community College
 * Purdue University Northwest
 * University of Phoenix
 * Indiana Wesleyan University

Public libraries
The county is served by seven different public library systems:
 * Crown Point Community Library has its main location with a branch in Winfield.
 * East Chicago Public Library has its main location and the Robart A. Pastrick branch.
 * Gary Public Library has its main location, the Du Bois Library, as well as the Brunswick, Kennedy and Woodson branches.
 * Hammond Public Library
 * Lake County Public Library has its main location in Merrillville as well as Cedar Lake, Dyer-Schererville, Griffith-Calumet Township, Highland, Hobart, Lake Station-New Chicago, Munster and St. John branches.
 * Lowell Public Library has its main location with branches in Schneider and Shelby.
 * Whiting Public Library

Hospitals

 * Community Hospital, Munster – 454 beds
 * Franciscan Health Crown Point, Crown Point – 203 beds (Level III Trauma Center)
 * Franciscan Health Dyer, Dyer – 223 beds
 * Franciscan Health Munster, Munster – 63 beds
 * Methodist Hospitals – 536 beds
 * Northlake Campus, Gary
 * Southlake Campus, Merrillville
 * NW Indiana ER and Hospital, Hammond – 6 beds
 * St. Catherine Hospital, East Chicago – 216 beds
 * St. Mary Medical Center, Hobart – 215 beds
 * UChicago Medicine Crown Point, Crown Point – 8 beds (opening April 2024)

Media
The Times, based in Munster, is the largest daily newspaper in Lake County and Northwest Indiana and the second largest in the state. Lake County is also served by the Post-Tribune, a daily newspaper based in Merrillville.

Lakeshore Public Television operates WYIN-TV Gary on channel 56 and is the local PBS station in the Chicago television market.

These eight broadcast radio stations serve Lake County and are part of the Chicago market:

 * WJOB (1230 AM) – Hammond
 * WWCA (1270 AM) – Gary
 * WLTH (1370 AM) – Gary
 * WLPR (89.1 FM) – Lowell
 * WRTW (90.5 FM) – Crown Point
 * WPWX (92.3 FM) – Hammond
 * WXRD (103.9 FM) – Crown Point
 * WZVN (107.1 FM) – Lowell

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Lowell have ranged from a low of 14.4 °F in January to a high of 83.8 °F in July, although a record low of -29 °F was recorded in December 1989 and a record high of 104 °F was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.75 in in February to 4.69 in in June. Temperatures at or below 0 °F occur on average 11 days annually and exceed 90 °F degrees on 14 days. In winter, lake-effect snow increases snowfall totals compared to the areas to the west. In spring and early summer, the immediate shoreline areas sometimes experience lake-breeze that can drop temperatures by several degrees compared to areas further inland. In summer, thunderstorms are common, occurring an average 40–50 days every year, and on about 13 days, these thunderstorms produce severe winds.

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

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

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

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

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

County elected officials
Board of Commissioners:
 * Kyle W. Allen, Sr. (D, 1st)†
 * Jerry J. Tippy (R, 2nd)
 * Michael C. Repay (D, 3rd)

County Council:
 * David Hamm (D, 1st)
 * Ronald Brewer (D, 2nd)
 * Charlie Brown (D, 3rd)
 * Pete Lindemulder (R, 4th)
 * Christine Cid (D, 5th)
 * Ted F. Bilski (D, 6th)†
 * Randy Niemeyer (R, 7th)

Elected Officials:
 * Assessor: LaTonya Spearman (D)
 * Auditor: Peggy Katona (D)
 * Clerk: Michael Brown (D)
 * Coroner: David Pastrick (D)
 * Prosecutor: Bernard A. Carter (D)
 * Recorder: Gina Pimentel (D)
 * Sheriff: Oscar Martinez, Jr. (D)
 * Surveyor: Bill Emerson, Jr. (D)
 * Treasurer: John Petalas (D)

† President

Politics
While the state of Indiana is strongly Republican, having voted Republican in every election since 1964 (except in 2008), Lake County has long been a Democratic stronghold, giving pluralities or majorities to Democrats in every Presidential election since 1932 with the exceptions of 1956 and 1972. Like the rest of the Rust Belt, however, Lake County has recently trended Republican, with Donald Trump scoring the highest percentage of the vote since 1988 in the 2020 election.

Lake is part of Indiana's 1st congressional district, which is held by Democrat Frank J. Mrvan. In the State Senate, Lake is part of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 6th districts, which are held by three Democrats and one Republican. In the Indiana House of Representatives, Lake is part of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th and 19th districts, which are held by four Democrats and four Republicans.

2008 presidential primary
In the 2008 Democratic presidential primary on May 6, 2008, Lake County was one of the last counties to report results. Lake County had reported no results at 11 p.m. ET, and at midnight ET, only 28% of Lake County's vote had been reported. A large number of absentee ballots and a record turnout delayed the tallies, and polls closed an hour later than much of the state because Lake County is in the Central Time Zone. Early returns showed Senator Barack Obama leading by a potentially lead-changing margin, leaving the race between Senator Hillary Clinton and Obama "too close to call" until final tallies were reported.

Crime

The NWI Times reported that over 800 registered sex offenders live in Lake and Porter Counties of Indiana in 2021.

Entertainment and the arts

 * Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra, concerts held at Living Hope Church – Merrillville
 * Theatre at the Center, located at the Center for Visual and Performing Arts – Munster

Major attractions

 * Ameristar Casino – East Chicago
 * Horseshoe Casino – Hammond
 * Majestic Star Casino – Gary
 * Majestic Star Casino II – Gary
 * Pierogi Fest – Whiting
 * Southlake Mall – Hobart
 * Three Floyds Brewing – Munster

Professional sports teams

 * Gary SouthShore RailCats, an American Association professional baseball team, play their games at U.S. Steel Yard in Gary.

Recreation
• Bellaboo's Play and Discovery Center – Lake Station
 * List of parks and recreational facilities – Lake County Parks and Recreation

• Buckley Homestead – Lowell

• Cedar Creek Family Golf Center – Cedar Lake

• Deep River County Park – Hobart

• Deep River Waterpark – Crown Point

• Gibson Woods Nature Preserve – Hammond

• Grand Kankakee Marsh – Hebron

• Lake Etta – Gary

• Lemon Lake – Crown Point

• Oak Ridge Prairie & Oak Savannah Trail – Griffith

• Stoney Run County Park – Hebron

• Three Rivers County Park – Lake Station

• Turkey Creek Golf Course – Merrillville

• Whihala Beach – Whiting

• Calumet Prairie State Nature Preserve – Lake Station
 * List of recreational facilities – Indiana Dunes National Park

• Hobart Prairie Grove – Hobart

• Hoosier Prairie State Nature Preserve – Griffith

• Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education – Gary

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 496,005 people, 188,157 households, and 127,647 families residing in the county. The population density was 994.1 PD/sqmi. There were 208,750 housing units at an average density of 418.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 64.4% white, 25.9% black or African American, 1.2% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 5.8% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 16.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 16.1% were German, 11.1% were Irish, 9.6% were Polish, 5.4% were English, and 3.7% were American.

Of the 188,157 households, 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.2% were non-families, and 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.19. The median age was 37.4 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $58,931. Males had a median income of $50,137 versus $33,264 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,142. About 12.2% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.3% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

title: Lake County, Indiana


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LaGrange County, Indiana

LaGrange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 40,446. The county seat is LaGrange, Indiana. The county is located in the Northern Indiana region known as Michiana and is about 55 mi east of South Bend, 105 mi west of Toledo, Ohio, and 175 mi northeast of Indianapolis. The area is well known for its large Amish population. For that reason, the county teams up with neighboring Elkhart County to promote tourism by referring to the area as Northern Indiana Amish Country. About half of LaGrange County is Amish, and it is home to the third-largest Amish community in the United States, which belongs to the Elkhart-LaGrange Amish affiliation.

History
The first settlement of LaGrange County was founded about a half mile west of Lima in 1828. Over the next four years, settlers flocked to parts of Lima, Springfield, and Van Buren Townships. Finally in 1832, LaGrange County was carved out of neighboring Elkhart County and established with Lima as the county seat. The town of LaGrange was platted in 1836 and settled in 1842 as the new county seat, closer to the center of the county. Lima's name was changed to Howe in 1909. LaGrange was laid out and platted in 1836.

LaGrange County's initial settlers were Yankee immigrants, that is to say, they were from New England. They were descended from the English Puritans who settled that region in the colonial era. They were part of a wave of New England settlers moving west into what was then the Northwest Territory after the completion of the Erie Canal. The original settlers in LaGrange County specifically hailed from the Massachusetts counties of Worcester County, Suffolk County and Berkshire County; the Connecticut counties of Hartford County and Windham County as well as the Connecticut towns of Sherman, Lebanon and Fairfield; and from the Vermont towns of Burlington, Brookfield, Huntington and Grand Isle. They were mainly members of the Congregational Church, but as a result of the Second Great Awakening, many became Baptists and many also converted to Pentecostalism and Methodism. When they arrived in LaGrange County, there was nothing but a virgin forest and wild prairie. The New England settlers cleared roads, built farms, constructed churches, erected government buildings, and established post routes. As a result of this migration, LaGrange County was culturally continuous with early New England culture for many years.

In 1837, the government removed Chief Shipshewana and the Potawatomi Tribe from the county's northwest corner. Several years later, the Chief was allowed to return and died in Newbury Township in 1841. A town named Georgetown had been platted in 1837 but was abandoned because of lack of development. In 1844, the first Amish came from Pennsylvania to settle around the old town. The village continued to grow, and the town of Shipshewana was platted nearby in 1899 and incorporated in 1916 in Newbury Township.

LaGrange County was named after the Château de la Grange-Bléneau, home of Revolutionary War hero, the Marquis de la Fayette, outside of Paris, France.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 386.70 sqmi, of which 379.62 sqmi (or 98.17%) is land and 7.08 sqmi (or 1.83%) is water.

The county is mostly made up of rural farmland but also some rolling hills and several lakes.

Adjacent counties

 * St. Joseph County, Michigan (northwest)
 * Branch County, Michigan (northeast)
 * Steuben County (east)
 * Noble County (south)
 * Elkhart County (west)

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in LaGrange have ranged from a low of 14 °F in January to a high of 82 °F in July, although a record low of -28 °F was recorded in December 2000 and a record high of 104 °F was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.76 in in February to 4.17 in in June.

2020 census
''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''

2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 37,128 people, 11,598 households, and 9,106 families residing in the county. The population density was 97.8 PD/sqmi. There were 14,094 housing units at an average density of 37.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 96.6% white, 0.3% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.7% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 36.1% were German, 13.3% were American, 6.4% were Irish, and 6.4% were English.

Of the 11,598 households, 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.6% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 21.5% were non-families, and 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 3.17, and the average family size was 3.66. The median age was 30.4 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $53,793. Males had a median income of $40,960 versus $29,193 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,388. About 12.1% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.5% of those under age 18 and 16.6% of those age 65 or over.

Amish community
Approximately 43% of the population of LaGrange County is Amish, as the county is home to the third-largest Amish community in the United States and belongs to the Elkhart-LaGrange Amish affiliation. This is reflected in the linguistic situation in the county: 28.45% of the population report speaking German, Pennsylvania German, or Dutch at home. 68.5% of the total population and 61.29% of the children in 5-17 age group used English as their home language, according to 2000 Census. The Amish languages (German, Pennsylfaansch, and Dutch) were used by 28.47% of the total population and 35.77% of them.

As of 2020 census, Terry Martin, president of the LaGrange County Commissioners, said that "the Amish-English ratio is about 50-50", also adding that the nearly 9% growth, or 3,318 people [between 2010 and 2020 censuses], was mainly due to the increasing Amish population.

Religion
*"Nones" is an unclear category. It is a heterogenous group of the not religious and intermittently religious. Researchers argue that most of the "Nones" should be considered "unchurched", rather than objectively nonreligious; especially since most "Nones" do hold some religious-spiritual beliefs and a notable amount participate in behaviors. For example, 72% of American "Nones" believe in God or a Higher Power.

Towns

 * LaGrange
 * Shipshewana
 * Topeka
 * Wolcottville (partially in Noble County)

Townships

 * Bloomfield
 * Clay
 * Clearspring
 * Eden
 * Greenfield
 * Johnson
 * Lima
 * Milford
 * Newbury
 * Springfield
 * Van Buren

Census-designated place

 * Howe

Other unincorporated communities

 * Brighton
 * Brushy Prairie
 * Eddy
 * Elmira
 * Emma
 * Gravel Beach
 * Greenfield Mills
 * Greenwood
 * Hartzel
 * Honeyville
 * Indianola
 * Lakeside Park
 * Lakeview
 * Mongo
 * Mount Pisgah
 * Northwood
 * Oak Lodge
 * Ontario
 * Pashan
 * Plato
 * Ramblewood
 * River Oaks
 * Scott
 * Seyberts
 * Sha-Get Acres
 * Shady Nook
 * South Milford
 * Star Mill
 * Stony Creek
 * Stroh
 * Tall Timbers
 * Timberhurst
 * Twin Lakes
 * Valentine
 * Webers Landing
 * Witmer Manor
 * Woodland Hills
 * Woodland Park
 * Woodruff

Economy
The economy is based mainly on agriculture and small shops, but tourism also plays a big role, especially in Shipshewana.

Government
The county is led by a board of three elected commissioners that serve as the county government's executive branch. The county council comprises 7 elected members – four from each council district and 3 at large. Also, one assessor serves the entire county as opposed to one for every township.

The current county commissioners are: The current county council members are:
 * North District: Terry Martin
 * Middle District: Kevin Myers
 * South District: Peter Cook
 * Charles F. Ashcraft D - District 1
 * Ryan Riegsecker R- District 2
 * Harold Gingerich R - District 3
 * Jim Young R - District 4
 * Jeff Brill R - At Large
 * Steve McKowen R - At Large
 * Mike Strawser R - At Large

LaGrange County is part of Indiana's 3rd congressional district; Indiana Senate district 13; and Indiana House of Representatives districts 18 and 52.

LaGrange County has consistently been a Republican Party stronghold in presidential elections. In only three elections since 1888 has a Republican candidate failed to win the county, most recently in 1964.

Education
The county has three public school districts.

Public schools
The Lakeland Community Schools serve the central part of the county. The system includes Lakeland Primary: Grades (k-2), Lakeland Intermediate: grades (3-6), and Lakeland Jr/Sr High: grades (7-12).

The Prairie Heights School Corporation serves the east side of the county and parts of Steuben County. The mascot of Prairie Heights School is a black panther.

The Westview School Corporation serves the west portion of the county. This system consists of four elementary schools (Meadowview, Shipshewana-Scott, Topeka, and Westview) and one junior-senior high school named Westview.

Private schools
Several Amish schools are located across the county.

Public library
LaGrange County is served by the LaGrange County Public Library, with branches in LaGrange, Shipshewana, and Topeka.

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

title: LaGrange County, Indiana


text:
Kosciusko County, Indiana

Kosciusko County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. At the 2020 United States Census, its population was 80,240. The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Warsaw. The county was organized in 1836. It was named for the Polish general Tadeusz Kościuszko who served in the American Revolutionary War and then returned to Poland. The county seat is named for Warsaw, the capital of Poland.

History
The Indiana State Legislature passed an omnibus county bill on February 7, 1835, that authorized the creation of thirteen counties in northeast Indiana, including Kosciusko. The county government was organized beginning in 1836. The county's boundary lines have remained unchanged since 1835.

Geographical features
Kosciusko County terrain consists of low rolling hills dotted with bodies of water and drainages, with all available area devoted to agriculture or urban development. Its highest point (1025'/312 meters ASL) is a hill NE of Dewart Lake. The Tippecanoe River flows westward through the central part of the county, while the Eel River flows southwestward through the county's SE corner.

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 554.39 sqmi, of which 531.38 sqmi (or 95.85%) is land and 23.01 sqmi (or 4.15%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Elkhart County - north
 * Noble County - northeast
 * Whitley County - southeast
 * Wabash County - south
 * Fulton County - southwest
 * Marshall County - west

Major highways

 * [[Image:US 30.svg|25px]] U.S. Route 30
 * [[Image:indiana 10.svg|25px]] Indiana State Road 10
 * [[Image:indiana 13.svg|25px]] Indiana State Road 13
 * [[Image:indiana 14.svg|25px]] Indiana State Road 14
 * [[Image:indiana 15.svg|25px]] Indiana State Road 15
 * [[Image:indiana 19.svg|25px]] Indiana State Road 19
 * [[Image:indiana 25.svg|25px]] Indiana State Road 25

Lakes

 * Banning Lake
 * Beaver Dam Lake
 * Big Barbee Lake
 * Big Chapman Lake
 * Carr Lake
 * Center Lake
 * Dewart Lake
 * Diamond Lake
 * Fish Lake
 * Goose Lake
 * Hoffman Lake
 * Hill Lake
 * Irish Lake
 * James Lake
 * Kuhn Lake
 * Lake Wawasee
 * Little Barbee Lake
 * Little Chapman Lake
 * Loon Lake
 * McClures Lake
 * Muskellunge Lake
 * Palestine Lake
 * Papakeechie Lake
 * Pike Lake
 * Ridinger Lake
 * Rock Lake (part)
 * Sechrist Lake
 * Shoe Lake
 * Silver Lake
 * Stanton Lake
 * Syracuse Lake
 * Tippecanoe Lake
 * Waubee Lake
 * Winona Lake
 * Yellow Creek Lake

Protected areas

 * Center Lake Wetland Conservation Area
 * Edmund and Virginia Ball Nature Preserve
 * Pisgah Marsh Nongame Area (part)

City and towns

 * Burket
 * Claypool
 * Etna Green
 * Leesburg
 * Mentone
 * Milford
 * North Webster
 * Pierceton
 * Sidney
 * Silver Lake
 * Syracuse
 * Warsaw (city)
 * Winona Lake

Unincorporated communities

 * Atwood
 * Barbee
 * Bayfield
 * Beaver Dam
 * Bell Rohr Park
 * Buttermilk Point
 * Cedar Point
 * Clunette
 * DeFries Landing
 * Enchanted Hills
 * Forest Glen
 * Gravelton
 * Hastings
 * Highbanks
 * Highlands Park
 * Island Park
 * Kalorama Park
 * Kanata Manayunk
 * Kinsey
 * Lakeside Park
 * Lakeview Spring
 * Lowman Corner
 * Marineland Gardens
 * Milford Junction
 * Mineral Springs
 * Monoquet
 * Musquabuck Park
 * Oakwood Park
 * Osborn Landing
 * Oswego
 * Packerton
 * Palestine
 * Pickwick Park
 * Potawatomi Park
 * Redmon Park
 * Sevastopol
 * Shady Banks
 * South Park
 * Stoneburner Landing
 * Stony Ridge
 * Vawter Park
 * Walker Park
 * Wawasee
 * Wawasee Village
 * Wooster
 * Yellowbanks

Townships

 * Clay
 * Etna
 * Franklin
 * Harrison
 * Jackson
 * Jefferson
 * Lake
 * Monroe
 * Plain
 * Prairie
 * Scott
 * Seward
 * Tippecanoe
 * Turkey Creek
 * Van Buren
 * Washington
 * Wayne

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Warsaw have ranged from a low of 15 °F in January to a high of 82 °F in July, although a record low of -25 °F was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 103 °F was recorded in July 1976. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.45 in in February to 4.51 in in June.

Newspapers

 * Times-Union
 * The Mail-Journal
 * The PAPER
 * Ink Free News

Radio Stations

 * WRSW-AM 1480/99.7 FM (News Now Warsaw)
 * WRSW-FM (Classic Hits 107.3 WRSW
 * WAWC-FM (Willie 103.5)

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, 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.

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

Court: The county maintains a small claims court that handles civil cases. The county also maintains a Circuit and Superior Court. The judge on each court is elected to a term of six years and must be a member of the Indiana bar.

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

Kosciusko County is part of Indiana's 2nd and 3rd congressional districts. It is also part of Indiana Senate districts 9, 13, 17 and 18 and Indiana House of Representatives districts 18, 22 and 23.

Elected officials:

 * Jim Smith - Sheriff
 * Daniel Hampton - Prosecutor
 * Susan Engelberth - Assessor
 * Michelle Puckett - Auditor
 * Ann Torpy - Clerk
 * Joetta Mitchell - County Recorder
 * Sue Ann Mitchell - Treasurer
 * Cary P. Groninger - Middle District Commissioner
 * Robert M. Conley, President - Southern District Commissioner
 * Bradford Jackson - Northern District Commissioner
 * Tony Ciriello, Certified Death Investigator, Coroner

Kosciusko County is a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. Woodrow Wilson in 1912 and Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 are the only two Democratic Party candidates to win the county from 1888 to the present day. Roosevelt is the only Democrat since 1888 to win the county with a majority. The county is very Republican even by the standards of traditionally Republican Indiana. For example, Roosevelt actually lost the county by eight percentage points in 1936 even as he went on to carry 46 states. Further underlining the county's Republican bent, it rejected Lyndon Johnson in 1964 even in the midst of Johnson's 44-state national landslide. Johnson is the last Democrat to manage even 40 percent of the county's vote.

Airports

 * KASW - Warsaw Municipal Airport
 * KC03 - Nappanee Municipal Airport

School districts

 * Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation
 * Triton School Corporation
 * Warsaw Community Schools
 * Wawasee Community School Corporation
 * Whitko Community School Corporation
 * Wa-Nee Community Schools

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 77,358 people, 29,197 households, and 20,740 families in the county. The population density was 145.6 PD/sqmi. There were 37,038 housing units at an average density of 69.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 93.3% white, 0.8% Asian, 0.7% black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 3.4% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 33.5% were German, 11.5% were Irish, 10.8% were English, and 8.2% were American.

Of the 29,197 households, 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.0% were non-families, and 23.9% 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 37.7 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $56,305. Males had a median income of $44,358 versus $29,320 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,019. About 7.0% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.5% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents

 * Ambrose Bierce, Civil War veteran, author, newspaper columnist
 * Chris Schenkel, former Sportscaster for ABC Sports. Resided in Leesburg, Indiana.
 * Rick Fox, retired NBA player. Resided in Warsaw, Indiana.

title: Kosciusko County, Indiana


text:
Knox County, Indiana

Knox County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana in the United States. The oldest county in Indiana, it was one of two original counties created in the Northwest Territory in 1790, alongside St. Clair County, Illinois. Knox County was gradually reduced in size as subsequent counties were established. It was established in its present configuration when Daviess County was partitioned off (February 2, 1818). At the 2020 United States Census, the county population was 36,282. The county seat is Vincennes.

Knox County comprises the Vincennes, IN Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History
In 1790, Winthrop Sargent, Secretary of Northwest Territory, organized Knox County, the fourth in the Northwest Territory. It was named for Major General Henry Knox, who had completed his term as second U.S. Secretary of War the previous September. Knox County was created prior to the formation of the Indiana Territory. When it was created, Knox County extended to Canada and encompassed all or part of the present states of Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio. When the Illinois Territory was formed in 1809, the portions of Knox County beyond the Wabash River became Saint Clair County, Illinois.

Many of Knox County townships and lots were surveyed with the French system, which employs non-cardinal compass points. Knox and Clark counties are the only ones laid out in this fashion.

Geography
Knox County lies on the west edge of the state; its western border abuts the eastern border of Illinois across the Wabash River. According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 524.04 sqmi, of which 516.03 sqmi (or 98.47%) is land and 8.01 sqmi (or 1.53%) is water. The county's west border is defined by the south-flowing Wabash River, and its east border is defined by the south-southwest-flowing White River. Its southwesternmost point occurs at the confluence of the two rivers, near Mount Carmel, Illinois. The terrain consists of verdant low-rolling hills, largely devoted to agriculture. Its highest points (around 620 ft ASL) occur in the hills midway between Bruceville and Bicknell.

Adjacent counties

 * Sullivan County - north
 * Greene County - northeast
 * Daviess County - east
 * Pike County - southeast
 * Gibson County - south
 * Wabash County, Illinois - southwest
 * Lawrence County, Illinois - west
 * Crawford County, Illinois - northwest

National protected area

 * George Rogers Clark National Historical Park

Cities

 * Bicknell
 * Vincennes

Towns

 * Bruceville
 * Decker
 * Edwardsport
 * Monroe City
 * Oaktown
 * Sandborn
 * Wheatland

Census-designated places

 * Emison
 * Freelandville
 * Ragsdale
 * Westphalia

Unincorporated areas

 * Beal
 * Busseron
 * Fritchton
 * Indian Creek Settlement
 * Iona
 * Little Rock
 * Orrville
 * Pond Creek Mills
 * Purcell
 * Saint Thomas
 * Verne
 * Wagner Station
 * Willis

Townships

 * Busseron
 * Decker
 * Harrison
 * Johnson
 * Palmyra
 * Steen
 * Vigo
 * Vincennes
 * Washington
 * Widner

Climate and weather
In recent years, the average temperature in Vincennes has ranged from a low of 20 °F in January to a high of 88 °F in July, although a record low of -26 °F was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 104 °F was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.51 in in February to 5.13 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 the county's spending and revenue collection. Representatives are elected from county districts to four-year terms. 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. The commissioners are elected county-wide to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the legislative acts of the County Council, collecting revenue, and managing the county government's functions.

Court: The county maintains a small claims court that can handle some civil cases. The court judge is elected to a four-year term, and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable, who is elected county-wide to a four-year term. Some 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 is elected county-wide to a four-year term. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.

Knox County is part of Indiana's 8th congressional district, Indiana Senate districts 39 and 48, and Indiana House of Representatives districts 45 and 64.

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 38,440 people, 15,249 households, and 9,725 families in the county. The population density was 74.5 PD/sqmi. There were 17,038 housing units at an average density of 33.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 94.9% white, 2.6% black or African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 26.9% were German, 19.9% were American, 13.0% were Irish, and 9.1% were English.

Of the 15,249 households, 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.2% were non-families, and 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age was 38.5 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $51,534. Males had a median income of $40,553 versus $27,201 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,381. About 12.6% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.7% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over.

Workforce
In 2005, Knox County had 998 business units and 16,240 jobs. The largest employing industry in the county was education and health services (including both public and private employment) with almost 34 percent of total industry employment. Trade, transportation, and utilities came in second with over 22 percent of total industry employment. Manufacturing showed the most job growth and the largest percentage gain since 2001, increasing 316 jobs or almost 21 percent.

The 2005 all industry earnings average for Knox County was $26,875, up $2,824 or 11.7 percent over the county's 2001 average. The manufacturing industry had the highest average annual earnings at $33,238, increasing $1,695 since 2001. Annual earnings in the information sector increased the most between 2001 and 2005, up $6,518 or 29.7 percent.

The Vincennes area has a diversified economy. In 2005 retail trade was the largest of 20 major sectors. It had an average wage per job of $19,743. Per capita income grew by 17.9% between 1994 and 2004 (adjusted for inflation). While manufacturing accounts for 8.2% of the jobs, the services sector is rapidly growing. Knox County's ground breaking Pathways Program insures a well-trained, highly motivated labor force. Knox County encompasses an area that attracts approximately 300,000 potential employees within an easy commute. Because of the proximity of the surrounding counties, and ease of access to the Vincennes area, businesses routinely draw from a labor force that lies within a 50-mile radius of their work site.

title: Knox County, Indiana


text:
Johnson County, Indiana

Johnson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 161,765. The county seat is Franklin.

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

Transit

 * Access Johnson County

Major highways

 * I-65.svg Interstate 65

 * US 31.svg U.S. Route 31
 * indiana 37.svg State Road 37
 * indiana 44.svg State Road 44
 * indiana 135.svg State Road 135
 * indiana 144.svg State Road 144
 * indiana 252.svg State Road 252

Airport

 * KHFY - Greenwood Municipal Airport
 * 3FK - Franklin Flying Field

Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 321.79 sqmi, of which 320.43 sqmi (or 99.58%) is land and 1.36 sqmi (or 0.42%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Marion County (north)
 * Shelby County (east)
 * Bartholomew County (southeast)
 * Brown County (southwest)
 * Morgan County (west)

History
Johnson County was formed in 1823. It was named for John Johnson, a Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court. This is probably John Johnson of Knox County, delegate to the State constitutional convention, appointed to the Supreme Court in 1816.

Cities and towns

 * Bargersville
 * Edinburgh
 * Franklin
 * Greenwood
 * New Whiteland
 * Princes Lakes
 * Trafalgar
 * Whiteland

Extinct

 * Farwest

Townships

 * Blue River
 * Clark
 * Franklin-Union-Needham, which merged in January 2022
 * Hensley
 * Nineveh
 * Pleasant
 * White River

The south end of the county is also home to the Camp Atterbury military installation.

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Franklin have ranged from a low of 21 °F in January to a high of 86 °F in July, although a record low of -22 °F was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 104 °F was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.05 in in January to 4.78 in in July. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Indiana was in the town of New Whiteland, Indiana, on January 19, 1994, when the temperature reached -36 °F.

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

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

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

Courts: The county maintains a Circuit Court can handle all types of cases, unless a particular case type is specifically reserved to another court. The county also maintains three Superior Courts that also handle all types of cases, and also handle the small claims and juvenile cases. The judges on each of the courts is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association.

County Officials: The county has several other elected offices that are mandated by the Indiana Constitution. These include sheriff, coroner, assessor, auditor, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk Each of these elected officers serves terms of four years and oversee different parts of the county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.

Johnson County is part of Indiana's Indiana's 9th congressional district; Indiana Senate districts 36, 37, and 41; and Indiana House of Representatives districts 47, 58, 65, and 93.

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 139,654 people, 52,242 households, and 37,711 families residing in the county. The population density was 435.8 PD/sqmi. There were 56,649 housing units at an average density of 176.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 93.9% white, 2.0% Asian, 1.1% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 1.2% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 28.1% were German, 15.7% were Irish, 11.5% were English, and 10.3% were American.

Of the 52,242 households, 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 27.8% were non-families, and 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.09. The median age was 36.8 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $72,723. Males had a median income of $52,107 versus $36,029 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,224. About 5.9% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.1% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

title: Johnson County, Indiana


text:
Jennings County, Indiana

Jennings County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 27,613. The county seat is Vernon.

History
Jennings County was formed in 1817. It was named for the first Governor of Indiana and a nine-term congressman, Jonathan Jennings. Jennings was governor when the county was organized.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 378.34 sqmi, of which 376.58 sqmi (or 99.53%) is land and 1.76 sqmi (or 0.47%) is water. It is a rural county, with majority of the county consisting of personal farms and woodlands. There are only two incorporated towns in this county, Vernon, the county seat, and North Vernon. Both are quite small and underdeveloped by urban standards. The county is located in the center of an imaginary triangle consisting of Indianapolis, IN, Cincinnati, OH, and Louisville, KY and requires only 1$1⁄4$ hour drive time to any of these urban centers.

It is also home to the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, located just outside North Vernon, at which various training exercises and scenarios are conducted for homeland security and other similar purposes.

City

 * North Vernon

Town

 * Vernon

Census-designated places

 * Butlerville
 * Country Squire Lakes
 * Hayden
 * Scipio

Other unincorporated places

 * Brewersville
 * Commiskey
 * Four Corners
 * Grayford
 * Hilltown
 * Lovett
 * Nebraska
 * Paris
 * Paris Crossing
 * Queensville
 * San Jacinto
 * Walnut Ridge
 * Zenas

Townships

 * Bigger
 * Campbell
 * Center
 * Columbia
 * Geneva
 * Lovett
 * Marion
 * Montgomery
 * Sand Creek
 * Spencer
 * Vernon

Adjacent counties

 * Decatur County (north)
 * Ripley County (east)
 * Jefferson County (southeast)
 * Scott County (south)
 * Jackson County (west)
 * Bartholomew County (northwest)

Major highways
Sources: National Atlas, U.S. Census Bureau
 * [[Image:US 50.svg|25px]] U.S. Route 50
 * [[Image:Indiana 3.svg|25px]] State Road 3
 * [[Image:Indiana 7.svg|25px]] State Road 7
 * [[Image:Indiana 250.svg|25px]] State Road 250

Parks and protected areas

 * Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge (part)
 * Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge (part)
 * Muscatatuck County Park
 * Selmier State Forest

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Vernon have ranged from a low of 22 °F in January to a high of 86 °F in July, although a record low of -24 °F was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of 105 °F was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.71 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 county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.

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

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

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

Jennings County is part of Indiana's 6th congressional district and is represented in Congress by Republican Greg Pence. It is also part of Indiana Senate districts 43 and 45 and Indiana House of Representatives districts 66 and 69.

Jennings County is, and has historically been, a staunchly Republican county and in the top 5 highest taxed counties in the state. Democratic presidential candidates have won Jennings County only thrice in the past 130 years.

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 28,525 people, 10,680 households, and 7,733 families residing in the county. The population density was 75.7 PD/sqmi. There were 12,069 housing units at an average density of 32.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 96.8% white, 0.8% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 1.0% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 26.2% were German, 16.3% were Irish, 14.7% were American, and 7.2% were English.

Of the 10,680 households, 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 27.6% were non-families, and 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.06. The median age was 38.4 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $48,470. Males had a median income of $38,506 versus $27,633 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,636. About 8.9% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Jennings County residents may obtain a library card from the Jennings County Public Library in North Vernon.

In popular culture
Jennings County is the setting of the novel The Friendly Persuasion, later adapted into the Oscar-nominated film Friendly Persuasion in 1956. Although initially planned to be filmed on location, it was finally filmed in California.

Notable residents

 * Sarah T. Bolton, poet
 * Ovid Butler, founder of Butler University
 * Royce Campbell, jazz guitarist
 * Cliff Daringer, Federal League baseball player
 * Rolla Daringer, Major League Baseball player
 * Lincoln Dixon, U.S. Representative from Indiana, 1905–1919
 * Scott Earl, Major League Baseball player
 * Robert Sanford Foster, Civil War General
 * John "Spider" Miller, 2015 & 2017 Walker Cup team captain
 * Jethro New, frontiersmen, Continental Army officer
 * Jeptha D. New, U.S. Representative from Indiana, 1875–1877, 1879–1881
 * John C. New, Treasurer of the United States, 1875-1876
 * Horatio C. Newcomb, Mayor of Indianapolis, 1849-1851
 * Hannah Milhous Nixon, mother of President Richard Nixon
 * Pat O'Connor, polesitter for the 1957 Indianapolis 500 and member of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame
 * Mike Simon, Major League Baseball player
 * Jessamyn West, author
 * Edgar Whitcomb, 43rd Governor of Indiana
 * Albert Edward Wiggam, psychologist, lecturer, and author

title: Jennings County, Indiana


text:
Jefferson County, Indiana

Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 33,147. The county seat is Madison.

History
Jefferson County was formed on February 1, 1811, from Dearborn and Clark Counties. It was named for Thomas Jefferson, principal draftsman of the Northwest Ordinance and President of the United States from 1801 through 1809.

Jefferson County was one of Indiana's first counties, and many important early Hoosiers came from Madison, including William Hendricks. Throughout the early history of the state, Madison was one of the leading cities competing with Vincennes, and later New Albany, to be the largest city in the state. The county fell into economic decline after the American Civil War, as industry began to shift from southern Indiana to the northern part of the state.

On the evening of May 20, 2009, the county courthouse caught fire. The fire began in the steeple of the courthouse, which was under reconstruction for Madison's bicentenary. The roof of the dome had just been painted gold. Fire departments from across southern Indiana and northern Kentucky arrived to put out the fire which burned for several hours, destroyed much of the inside of the building and the county records. The fire forced the evacuation of the nearby county jail, and effectively shut down the downtown area of the city. It was later determined the fire was accidentally started by workers who were welding on the metal roof dome.

The tallest waterfall in Indiana, Fremont Falls, is located in Hanover.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 362.89 sqmi, of which 360.63 sqmi (or 99.38%) is land and 2.26 sqmi (or 0.62%) is water. Jefferson County makes up the Madison, IN Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Cities and towns

 * Brooksburg
 * Dupont
 * Hanover
 * Madison (county seat)

Census-designated places

 * Canaan
 * Deputy
 * Kent

Townships

 * Graham
 * Hanover
 * Lancaster
 * Madison
 * Milton
 * Monroe
 * Republican
 * Saluda
 * Shelby
 * Smyrna

Adjacent counties

 * Ripley County (north)
 * Switzerland County (east)
 * Carroll County, Kentucky (southeast)
 * Trimble County, Kentucky (south)
 * Clark County (southwest)
 * Scott County (west)
 * Jennings County (northwest)

Major highways
Sources: National Atlas, U.S. Census Bureau

 * [[Image:US 421.svg|25px]] U.S. Route 421
 * [[Image:Indiana 3.svg|25px]] Indiana State Road 3
 * [[Image:Indiana 7.svg|25px]] Indiana State Road 7
 * [[Image:Indiana 56.svg|25px]] Indiana State Road 56
 * [[Image:Indiana 62.svg|25px]] Indiana State Road 62
 * [[Image:Indiana 250.svg|25px]] Indiana State Road 250
 * [[Image:Indiana 256.svg|25px]] Indiana State Road 256
 * [[Image:Indiana 356.svg|25px]] Indiana State Road 356
 * [[Image:Indiana 362.svg|25px]] Indiana State Road 362

National protected area

 * Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Madison have ranged from a low of 23 °F in January to a high of 87 °F in July, although a record low of -18 °F was recorded in December 1989 and a record high of 108 °F was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.92 in in September to 4.96 in in May.

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

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

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

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

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

Jefferson County is part of Indiana's 6th congressional district and is represented in Congress by Republican Luke Messer. It is also part of Indiana Senate district 45 and is split between Indiana House of Representatives districts 66, 67 and 69.

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 32,428 people, 12,635 households, and 8,456 families residing in the county. The population density was 89.9 PD/sqmi. There were 14,311 housing units at an average density of 39.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 95.2% white, 1.7% black or African American, 0.7% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.9% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 23.5% were German, 15.4% were American, 12.9% were Irish, and 11.2% were English.

Of the 12,635 households, 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.1% were non-families, and 27.2% 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 39.7 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $52,343. Males had a median income of $42,629 versus $30,475 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,278. About 10.2% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.1% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education
All Jefferson County residents five years and older are eligible to obtain a free library card from the Jefferson County Public Library in Madison. The public school system in Jefferson County is Madison Consolidated Schools.

title: Jefferson County, Indiana


text:
Jay County, Indiana

Jay County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 20,478. The county seat is Portland.

History
The Indiana State Legislature passed an omnibus county bill on February 7, 1835 that authorized the creation of thirteen counties in northeast Indiana, including Jay - the only county in the United States named for John Jay, co-author of The Federalist Papers, Secretary of Foreign Affairs under the Articles of Confederation, and first Chief Justice of the United States. John Jay had died in 1829.

Geography
Jay County lies on the east side of Indiana; its east border abuts the western border of Ohio. Its low, rolling terrain is entirely devoted to agriculture or urban development. Its highest point (1,121 ft ASL) is a small rise on the east border with Ohio, 2,600 feet north of the county's SE corner. The Salamonie River originates near Salamonia in southeastern Jay County and flows generally northwestwardly into Blackford County (It joins the Wabash River from the south in Wabash County). According to the 2010 United States Census, the county has a total area of 384.08 sqmi, of which 383.90 sqmi (or 99.95%) is land and 0.18 sqmi (or 0.05%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Adams County - north
 * Mercer County, Ohio - east
 * Darke County, Ohio - southeast
 * Randolph County - south
 * Delaware County - southwest
 * Blackford County - west
 * Wells County - northwest

Cities & Towns

 * Bryant
 * Dunkirk
 * Pennville
 * Portland
 * Redkey
 * Salamonia

Townships

 * Bearcreek
 * Greene
 * Jackson
 * Jefferson
 * Knox
 * Madison
 * Noble
 * Penn
 * Pike
 * Richland
 * Wabash
 * Wayne

Unincorporated communities

 * Antioch
 * Antiville
 * Balbec
 * Bellfountain
 * Blaine
 * Bloomfield
 * Bluff Point
 * Boundary City
 * Brice
 * Center
 * College Corner
 * Collett
 * Como
 * Fiat
 * Greene
 * Jay City
 * Kitt
 * Liber
 * New Corydon
 * New Mount Pleasant
 * Noble
 * Pleasant Ridge
 * Poling
 * Pony
 * Powers
 * Ridertown
 * Salem
 * Trinity
 * West Liberty
 * Westchester

Major highways
Sources: National Atlas, US Census Bureau

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Portland have ranged from a low of 15 °F in January to a high of 84 °F in July, although a record low of -29 °F was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 102 °F was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.87 in in January to 4.40 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 county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the 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.

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

Court: The county maintains circuit and superior courts with the latter having a small claims division. Both courts have general jurisdiction with the circuit court having exclusive jurisdiction of juvenile and probate matters. The court's judges are elected to six-year terms, and must be admitted to practice law before the state supreme court. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.

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

Jay County is part of Indiana's 3rd congressional district; Indiana Senate district 19; and Indiana House of Representatives district 33.

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 21,253 people, 8,133 households, and 5,647 families in the county. The population density was 55.4 PD/sqmi. There were 9,221 housing units at an average density of 24.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 97.0% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.1% American Indian, 1.3% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 34.1% were German, 13.1% were American, 11.7% were English, and 11.6% were Irish.

Of the 8,133 households, 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.6% were non-families, and 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.10. The median age was 39.0 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $47,926. Males had a median income of $38,142 versus $26,928 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,946. About 10.0% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.7% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

Literary reference
''Jens looked at a map he'd filched from an abandoned gas station. If he was where he thought he was, he'd soon be approaching the grand metropolis of Fiat, by God, Indiana. He managed a smile when he saw that, and declaimed, "And God said, Fiat, Indiana, and there was Indiana."''

--Harry Turtledove, Worldwar: In the Balance, New York: Random House (1994), Chapter 14, copyright 1994 by Harry Turtledove. The reference is to the unincorporated town of Fiat near the intersection of Indiana State Routes 1 and 18 in Jay County.

title: Jay County, Indiana


text:
Jasper County, Indiana

Jasper County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 32,918. The county seat is Rensselaer. Jasper County is included in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
The lands of present NW Indiana were explored by French explorer Robert de LaSalle. At that time, the area was inhabited by the Miami Confederation of Indians. Through White settlement, encroachment, and confrontation, the various indigenous groups were forced to cede their claim to the area. In October 1818, the Pottawattamies, Weas, and Delawares ceded their lands west of the Tippecanoe River to the government. In a treaty dated October 23, 1826, the Pottawattamies and Miamis ceded all their lands east of the Tippecanoe. A treaty dated October 26, 1832, with the Pottawattamies ceded control of the northwestern part of Indiana; on October 27 the Pottawattamies of Indiana and Michigan also relinquished all claim to any remaining land in those states.

Until the 1832 treaty of 1832, the future Jasper County area was not open to settlement; those who did come to Indiana before that time had flooded the southern parts of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois through the Ohio Valley. Northwestern Indiana was also less desirable for initial settlement, the land being described as alternate swamps, sterile sand ridges and flat, wet prairies. It did proliferate in game, however, and eventually settlers found it. The first recorded settler was William Donahue, who located in present-day Gillam Township. He was a justice of the peace during the period prior to the county's establishment.

Although the settlers were sparse, the state legislature provided for two counties to be established in the area. The state legislature passed an omnibus bill that authorized thirteen counties and described their boundaries, although their governing structures were not established at that time. The new counties of Jasper and Newton were attached to White County for political and civil purposes.

In 1836 all the area north of the Kankakee River was partitioned from Jasper as Porter County. By 1837 preparations were made to create the Jasper County governing structure, with a county commission elected that year. They first met in January 1838 at the house of Robert Alexander in present-day Benton County. After that, the pro tem county seat was designated as the residence of George W. Spitler, in present-day Iroquois Township, Newton County and the first meeting was held in March 1839. The official date of formation of the Jasper County government is given as March 15, 1838.

Jasper County was named for Sgt. William Jasper, a famous scout for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Jasper became famous in 1776, during the bombardment of Fort Moultrie, for erecting a new flagstaff under fire after the American flag had been shot down. Jasper was killed during the Siege of Savannah in 1779. Jasper County's twin county, Newton County, was named after Jasper's friend and comrade, John Newton.

A state legislature act dated January 29, 1839, caused the consolidation of Jasper and Newton, with Jasper retaining the name, and Newton being removed, and the consolidated area being seated at the Falls of the Iroquois River, with the name of Newton (the community's name was changed to Rensselaer in 1844). In 1840 the county of Benton was formed from Jasper's area. In 1859 the county of Newton was revived but with smaller area than before, leaving Jasper in its present form.

The Civil War
As early as 1825, the majority of the population were against slavery. By the time of the War, Jasper County was one of the few counties of Indiana that had a military organization under the law of 1855. The war greatly affected Jasper County when 935 soldiers were enlisted on behalf of the Union. This was considered an impressive amount at the time, with the average population around 5,000. Although there were several companies from Indiana, the 9th Indiana Infantry Regiment produced Robert H. Milroy, the "Gray Eagle of the Army". Milroy became famous for suppressing Confederate mountain rangers, which caused the Confederate Congress to declare a $100,000 bounty on his head. The 9th Indiana Infantry Regiment became known for its involvement in the Battle of Philippi, one of the earliest battles of the Civil War at Laurel Hill (now known as Laurel Mountain). In comparing the proportions of men able to fight, Indiana contributed more soldiers than any other state to the Union.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 561.39 sqmi, of which 559.62 sqmi (or 99.68%) is land and 1.76 sqmi (or 0.31%) is water. Until the middle of the 19th century when it was drained to make farmland, this county was part of the second largest freshwater wetland in the US, with abundant flora and fauna. This is caused by the Iroquois River, one of the main tributaries of the Kankakee River that flows throughout Jasper County, a major water source for the area.

Major highways
• I-65.svg Interstate 65

• US 24.svg U.S. Route 24

• US 231.svg U.S. Route 231

• indiana 10.svg Indiana State Road 10

• indiana 14.svg Indiana State Road 14

• indiana 16.svg Indiana State Road 16

• indiana 49.svg Indiana State Road 49

• indiana 110.svg Indiana State Road 110

• indiana 114.svg Indiana State Road 114

Railroads

 * CSX Transportation
 * Norfolk Southern Railway
 * Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway

Adjacent counties
• Porter County - north

• La Porte County - northeast

• Starke County - northeast

• Pulaski County - east

• White County - southeast

• Benton County - south

• Newton County - west

• Lake County - northwest

Municipalities
The municipalities in Jasper County, and their populations as of the 2020 census, are:

Cities

 * Rensselaer – 5,733

Towns
• De Motte – 4,168

• Remington – 1,356

• Wheatfield – 904

Census-designated places
• Collegeville – 84

• Roselawn – 4,132

Unincorporated communities
• Aix

• Asphaltum

• Baileys Corner

• Deer Park

• Dunns Bridge

• Egypt

• Fair Oaks

• Forest City

• Fountain Park

• Gifford Park

• Kersey

• Kniman

• Laura

• Lewiston

• McCoysburg

• Moody

• Newland

• Parr

• Pleasant Ridge

• Stoutsburg

• Surrey

• Tefft

• Virgie

Townships
The 13 townships of Jasper County, with their populations as of the 2020 census, are: • Barkley – 915

• Carpenter – 1,925

• Gillam – 619

• Hanging Grove – 209

• Jordan – 326

• Kankakee – 913

• Keener – 10,625

• Marion – 6,648

• Milroy – 256

• Newton – 825

• Union – 1,588

• Walker – 3,692

• Wheatfield – 4,377

Education
Residents of Jasper County attend public schools administered by four different districts in multiple counties:
 * Kankakee Valley School Corporation
 * Rensselaer Central Schools Corporation
 * Tri-County School Corporation
 * West Central School Corporation

High Schools
 * Kankakee Valley High School
 * Rensselaer Central High School
 * Covenant Christian High School in DeMotte (grades 9–12)

Middle Schools
 * Kankakee Valley Middle School
 * Rensselaer Central Middle School

Elementary Schools
 * DeMotte Christian Elementary School (preschool through 8)
 * DeMotte Elementary School
 * Kankakee Valley Intermediate School
 * St. Augustine Catholic School
 * Tri-County Primary School (K-2nd)
 * Van Rensselaer Elementary School
 * Wheatfield Elementary School

Colleges and Universities

 * Saint Joseph's College closed

Hospitals

 * Franciscan Health Rensselaer, Rensselaer – 46 beds

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Rensselaer have ranged from a low of 14 °F in January to a high of 85 °F in July, although a record low of -25 °F was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 104 °F was recorded in August 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.67 in in February to 4.34 in in June.

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

County Council: The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. 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, elected to four-year terms. Members elected to any county government position are required to declare a political party affiliation and to be residents of the county.

Jasper County is part of Indiana's 4th congressional district. It is also part of Indiana Senate districts 5 and 7 and Indiana House of Representatives districts 4, 16 and 20.

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 33,478 people, 12,232 households, and 9,165 families in the county. The population density was 59.8 PD/sqmi. There were 13,168 housing units at an average density of 23.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 95.8% white, 0.6% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 2.0% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.6% were German, 16.5% were Irish, 9.6% were Dutch, 9.3% were English, 6.9% were American, and 6.0% were Polish.

Of the 12,232 households, 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 25.1% were non-families, and 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.07. The median age was 38.0 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $63,842. Males had a median income of $50,984 versus $32,313 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,676. About 7.7% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.1% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

Religion
The Catholic church is the biggest denomination in the county with 4,341 members, the second largest is the Reformed Church in America with 1,502 members and 2 churches (First Church and American Reformed Church) the third is the United Methodist Church with 1,300 members, the fourth largest is the Christian Reformed Church in North America with 1,013 members in 3 congregations as of 2010.

title: Jasper County, Indiana


text:
Jackson County, Indiana

Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 46,428. The county seat is Brownstown.

History
Jackson County was formed in 1816. It was named after General Andrew Jackson.

Jackson County was the site of the first recorded train robbery of a moving train in the United States. On October 6, 1866, the Reno Gang robbed an Ohio and Mississippi Railway train, making off with over $10,000.

Jackson County has the second longest 3-span covered bridge in the world; The Medora Covered Bridge. After a recent project to completely refurbish the Medora Covered Bridge, the nearby town of Medora now holds an annual event at the bridge. The bridge is open for pedestrian traffic and site-seers. Another long neglected covered bridge, the Bells Ford Bridge, believed to have been the last remaining Post Truss bridge in the world, succumbed to neglect, collapsing into the White River on January 2, 2006.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 513.91 sqmi, of which 509.31 sqmi (or 99.10%) is land and 4.60 sqmi (or 0.90%) is water.

Cities

 * Seymour

Towns

 * Brownstown
 * Crothersville
 * Medora

Census-designated places

 * Freetown
 * Vallonia

Other unincorporated places

 * Kurtz
 * Norman Station
 * Tampico
 * Uniontown

Townships

 * Brownstown
 * Carr
 * Driftwood
 * Grassy Fork
 * Hamilton
 * Jackson
 * Owen
 * Pershing
 * Redding
 * Salt Creek
 * Vernon
 * Washington

Adjacent counties

 * Brown County (north-northwest)
 * Bartholomew County (north-northeast)
 * Jennings County (east)
 * Scott County (southeast)
 * Washington County (south)
 * Lawrence County (west)
 * Monroe County (northwest)

Major highways
Sources: National Atlas, U.S. Census Bureau
 * I-65.svg Interstate 65
 * US 31.svg U.S. Route 31
 * US 50.svg U.S. Route 50
 * Indiana 11.svg State Road 11
 * Indiana 39.svg State Road 39
 * Indiana 58.svg State Road 58
 * Indiana 135.svg State Road 135
 * Indiana 235.svg State Road 235
 * Indiana 250.svg State Road 250
 * Indiana 256.svg State Road 256
 * Indiana 258.svg State Road 258

National protected areas

 * Hoosier National Forest (part)
 * Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Brownstown have ranged from a low of 19 °F in January to a high of 85 °F in July, although a record low of -23 °F was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of 106 °F was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.84 in in February to 5.01 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 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.

Jackson County is part of Indiana's 9th congressional district and was represented in Congress by Republican Todd Young until Young was elected to the Senate. Since then, it has been represented by Trey Hollingsworth. It is also part of Indiana Senate districts 44 and 45 and Indiana House of Representatives districts 65, 66,69 and 73.

Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 42,376 people, 16,501 households, and 11,629 families residing in the county. The population density was 83.2 PD/sqmi. There were 18,202 housing units at an average density of 35.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 94.5% white, 0.8% Asian, 0.7% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.4% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 28.8% were German, 13.1% were American, 12.8% were Irish, and 9.2% were English.

Of the 16,501 households, 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.5% were non-families, and 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age was 38.7 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $53,534. Males had a median income of $38,608 versus $30,030 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,498. About 7.6% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

title: Jackson County, Indiana