Whitley County
County
Whitley County courthouse in Columbia City
Whitley County courthouse in Columbia City
Map of Indiana highlighting Whitley County
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
Map of the United States highlighting Indiana
Indiana's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 41°08′N 85°30′W / 41.14°N 85.5°W / 41.14; -85.5
Country United States
State Indiana
Founded7 February 1835 (authorized)
1838 (organized)
Named forWilliam Whitley
SeatColumbia City
Largest cityColumbia City
Area
 • Total337.91 sq mi (875.2 km2)
 • Land335.57 sq mi (869.1 km2)
 • Water2.34 sq mi (6.1 km2)  0.69%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total34,191
 • Density101.6/sq mi (39.2/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district3rd
Websitewhitleygov.com
Indiana county number 92
Last alphabetical county in Indiana.

Whitley County is a rural county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 34,191.[1] Whitley County is the 49th largest county in Indiana. The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Columbia City.[2] The county has the highest county number (92) on Indiana license plates, as it is alphabetically the last in the state's list of counties. It is part of the Fort Wayne Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Fort Wayne–Huntington–Auburn Combined Statistical Area.

History

Indiana was granted statehood near the end of 1816. On 7 February 1835, the state legislature approved an omnibus bill[3] that authorized the creation of thirteen counties,[4] including Whitley. It was named for Col. William Whitley, who was killed in the Battle of the Thames in the War of 1812.[5]

The first non-Native American settlers arrived in the area during that year, as a result of the end of the Black Hawk War and completion of the Erie Canal. They were from New England - "Yankee" settlers, descendents of the English Puritans who settled New England in the colonial era. They were primarily members of the Congregational Church though due to the Second Great Awakening many of them had converted to Methodism and some had become Baptists before coming to Indiana. Whitley County government was organized in 1838.

In the late 1870s immigrants began arriving from Germany and Ireland.[5]

Geography

Prior to white settlement, Whitley County's low rolling hills were densely forested, and dotted with lakes across its northern portion. At present, the available land is mostly deforested, and is entirely devoted to agriculture or to urban development.[6] Its highest point (approx. 1,000 ft; 300 m ASL) is a small rise NE of Cedar Lake.[7] The Eel River flows southwestward through the lower part of the county, and the Blue River flows southwestward through the upper part.[6]

According to the 2010 United States Census, the county has a total area of 337.91 square miles (875.2 km2), of which 335.57 square miles (869.1 km2) (or 99.31%) is land and 2.34 square miles (6.1 km2) (or 0.69%) is water.[8]

Adjacent counties

City and towns

Census-designated place

Unincorporated places

Townships

Lakes

  • Blue Lake
  • Brown Lake
  • Cedar Lake
  • Crooked Lake (part)
  • Dollar Lake
  • Goose Lake
  • Indian Lake
  • Little Cedar Lake
  • Loon Lake (part)
  • Mud Lake
  • New Lake
  • Old Lake
  • Rine Lake
  • Robinson Lake (part)
  • Round Lake
  • Scott Lake
  • Shriner Lake
  • Tadpole Lake
  • Troy Cedar Lake
  • Winters Lake[6]

Protected areas

  • Deniston Resource Area
  • Goose Lake Wetland Conservation Area
  • Pisgah Marsh Nongame Area (part)[6]

Major highways

Climate and weather

Columbia City, Indiana
Climate chart (explanation)
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█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█ Precipitation totals in inches
Source:The Weather Channel[9]
Metric conversion
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█ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█ Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in Columbia City have ranged from a low of 14 °F (−10 °C) in January to a high of 83 °F (28 °C) in July, although a record low of −24 °F (−31 °C) was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 103 °F (39 °C) was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.80 inches (46 mm) in February to 4.44 inches (113 mm) in June.[9]

Government

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

County Council: The legislative branch of the county government; controls spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected to four-year terms from county districts. They set salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.[10][11]

Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county; commissioners are elected to four-year staggered terms in county-wide elections. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute the acts legislated by the council, collect revenue, and manage the county government.[10][11]

Court: The county maintains a small claims court that handles civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana bar. 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.[11]

County Officials: The county has other officers elected to four-year terms, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.[11]

Whitely County is part of Indiana's 3rd congressional district and as of 2020 is represented by Republican James Edward Banks in the United States Congress.

United States presidential election results for Whitley County, Indiana[12]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 12,862 73.13% 4,234 24.07% 492 2.80%
2016 11,358 72.07% 3,379 21.44% 1,022 6.49%
2012 10,258 68.24% 4,420 29.40% 354 2.35%
2008 9,124 59.99% 5,862 38.55% 222 1.46%
2004 9,512 70.56% 3,880 28.78% 89 0.66%
2000 8,080 64.99% 4,107 33.04% 245 1.97%
1996 5,965 51.31% 4,176 35.92% 1,484 12.77%
1992 5,217 43.27% 3,569 29.60% 3,270 27.12%
1988 7,679 67.44% 3,642 31.99% 65 0.57%
1984 7,763 67.21% 3,690 31.95% 98 0.85%
1980 7,146 55.74% 4,497 35.08% 1,178 9.19%
1976 6,761 54.34% 5,445 43.77% 235 1.89%
1972 7,489 65.67% 3,838 33.65% 77 0.68%
1968 5,684 53.27% 3,848 36.06% 1,139 10.67%
1964 4,896 45.56% 5,798 53.95% 53 0.49%
1960 6,621 60.50% 4,266 38.98% 56 0.51%
1956 6,422 63.23% 3,688 36.31% 47 0.46%
1952 5,893 60.28% 3,755 38.41% 128 1.31%
1948 4,715 51.88% 4,240 46.65% 134 1.47%
1944 5,268 55.88% 4,079 43.27% 80 0.85%
1940 5,100 53.34% 4,404 46.06% 57 0.60%
1936 3,959 43.27% 5,115 55.90% 76 0.83%
1932 3,471 39.21% 5,058 57.13% 324 3.66%
1928 4,519 57.43% 3,294 41.86% 56 0.71%
1924 4,420 54.84% 3,484 43.23% 156 1.94%
1920 4,530 52.50% 3,929 45.53% 170 1.97%
1916 2,191 44.69% 2,510 51.19% 202 4.12%
1912 1,082 24.01% 2,206 48.96% 1,218 27.03%
1908 2,302 46.57% 2,493 50.43% 148 2.99%
1904 2,359 48.99% 2,281 47.37% 175 3.63%
1900 2,271 47.77% 2,361 49.66% 122 2.57%
1896 2,242 46.85% 2,494 52.12% 49 1.02%
1892 1,958 44.55% 2,234 50.83% 203 4.62%
1888 2,133 46.18% 2,325 50.34% 161 3.49%

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18401,237—
18505,190319.6%
186010,730106.7%
187014,39934.2%
188016,94117.7%
189017,7684.9%
190017,328−2.5%
191016,892−2.5%
192015,660−7.3%
193015,9311.7%
194017,0016.7%
195018,82810.7%
196020,95411.3%
197023,39511.6%
198026,21512.1%
199027,6515.5%
200030,70711.1%
201033,2928.4%
202034,1912.7%
US Decennial Census[13]
1790-1960[14] 1900-1990[15]
1990-2000[16] 2010-2013[17] 2017[18]

2010 Census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 33,292 people, 13,001 households, and 9,228 families in the county.[19] The population density was 99.2 inhabitants per square mile (38.3/km2). There were 14,281 housing units at an average density of 42.6 per square mile (16.4/km2).[8] The racial makeup of the county was 97.6% white, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.4% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.5% of the population.[19] In terms of ancestry, 38.2% were German, 12.6% were Irish, 12.5% were American, and 9.3% were English.[20]

Of the 13,001 households, 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.0% were non-families, and 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.99. The median age was 40.1 years.[19]

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $63,487. Males had a median income of $44,883 versus $30,724 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,644. About 5.1% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.[21]

See also

References

  1. ↑ https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/whitleycountyindiana/PST045219
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ John W Tyndall & OE Lesh, Standard history of Adams and Wells Counties, Indiana. pp. 284-6 (accessed 9 August 2020)
  4. ↑ The counties are DeKalb, Fulton, Jasper, Jay, Kosciusko, Marshall, Newton, Porter, Pulaski, Stark, Steuben, Wells, and Whitley. Newton was dissolved in 1839 and its territory was attached to Jasper; it was re-created in 1859.
  5. 1 2 De Witt Clinton Goodrich & Charles Richard Tuttle (1875). An Illustrated History of the State of Indiana. Indiana: R. S. Peale & co. p. 577.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Whitley County IN (Google Maps, accessed 31 July 2020)
  7. ↑ Whitley County High Point, Indiana (PeakBagger.com, accessed 31 July 2020)
  8. 1 2 "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Monthly Averages for Columbia City IN". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
  10. 1 2 Indiana Code. "Title 36, Article 2, Section 3". IN.gov. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Indiana Code. "Title 2, Article 10, Section 2" (PDF). IN.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 27, 2004. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
  12. ↑ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  13. ↑ "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Whitley County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  18. ↑ "QuickFacts. Whitley County, Indiana". US Census Bureau. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  19. 1 2 3 "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Selected Social Characteristics in the US – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
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