Editing Mitchell, Indiana

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
<!-- Infobox begins -->{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Mitchell, Indiana
| native_name        = 
| settlement_type    = [[City]]
| nickname           = 
| motto              = 
| image_skyline      = Mitchell indiana.jpg
| imagesize          = 250x80px
| image_caption      = Main St., Downtown Mitchell, Indiana.
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = 
| image_map          = File:Lawrence County Indiana Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Mitchell Highlighted 1849950.svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location of Mitchell in Lawrence County, Indiana.
| image_map1         = 
| mapsize1           = 
| map_caption1       = 
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Indiana]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Indiana|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Lawrence County, Indiana|Lawrence]]
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = Don Caudell II [[Republican Party (United States)|(R)]]
| leader_title1      = <!-- for places with, say, both a mayor and a city manager -->
| leader_name1       = 
| leader_title2      = 
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| leader_title3      = 
| leader_name3       = 
| established_title  = <!-- Settled -->
| established_date   = 
| established_title2 = Incorporated (town)
| established_date2  = 1864
| established_title3 = Incorporated (city)
| established_date3  = 1907
| area_land_km2      = 9.31
| area_water_km2     = 0.01
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_18.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 16, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 9.32
| area_total_sq_mi   = 3.60
| area_land_sq_mi    = 3.59
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.01
| area_water_percent = 0.30
| area_urban_sq_mi   = 
| area_metro_sq_mi   = 
| population_footnotes = 
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_est     = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| population_note    = 
| population_total   = 3933
| population_density_km2 = 422.57
| population_density_sq_mi = 1094.32
| population_metro   = 
| population_density_metro_km2 = 
| population_density_metro_sq_mi = 
| population_urban   = 
| timezone           = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| coordinates        = {{coord|38|44|32|N|86|28|32|W|region:US-IN|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 682
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 47446
| website            = {{URL|https://mitchell-in.gov/}}
| area_code          = [[Area code 812|812]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 18-49950<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2395357<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2395357}}</ref>
| footnotes          = 
| unit_pref          = Imperial
}}

'''Mitchell''' is a city in [[Marion Township, Lawrence County, Indiana|Marion Township]], [[Lawrence County, Indiana|Lawrence County]], [[Indiana]], United States. The population was 4,350 at the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]].

[[File:Mitchell, Indiana.jpg|thumb|Photo from Small Town Indiana photo survey.]]

==History==
Mitchell was built as a [[Rail transport|railroad]] town in the mid-19th century. At this location in Lawrence County, the Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railroad, better known by the shorter name of "the [[Monon Railroad|Monon]]", was built as a north-south line from [[New Albany, Indiana|New Albany]] to [[Chicago]], passing through the area which became Mitchell in 1853. In 1857, the east-west [[Ohio and Mississippi Railway]] (later part of the [[Baltimore and Ohio Railroad]]) was completed, as part of a link between [[Cincinnati]] and [[St. Louis]].

At the intersection of the two rail lines, a new town was planned. As the O&M railroad was surveyed, the owners of the land arranged for one of the surveyors, [[Ormsby M. Mitchel|Ormsby McKnight Mitchel]] (1810–1862), a [[United States Military Academy|West Point]] graduate and professor at the [[University of Cincinnati]], to [[plat]] their new town in exchange for naming it for him. (The second "L" in Mitchell was added later.{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}}) A native of Kentucky, Ormsby Mitchel grew up in [[Lebanon, Ohio]], and was also an [[Lawyer|attorney]] and notable [[astronomer]]. He later became a [[major general]] in the [[Union Army]] during the [[American Civil War]] (1861–1865), and is best known for ordering the raid that became famous as the [[Great Locomotive Chase]]. He was known as "Old Stars". General Mitchel died of [[yellow fever]] while serving in [[Beaufort, South Carolina]]. [http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/image.php?img=185]

The town was incorporated in 1864,<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/historyoflawrenc00indi | title=History of Lawrence and Monroe Counties, Indiana: Their People, Industries, and Institutions | publisher=B.F. Bowen | year=1914 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/historyoflawrenc00indi/page/40 40]}}</ref> becoming a city in 1907. Mitchell hosted a number of manufacturers, including (in 1919) the wagon, truck and bus body enterprises of [[Ralph H. Carpenter]] which became known as the [[Carpenter Body Company]]. [[School bus]] body production continued until 1995.{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}}

In 1851, the Mitchell area was the birthplace of outlaw and [[Train robbery|train robber]] [[Sam Bass (outlaw)|Sam Bass]] (1851–1878). He was orphaned at age 13, but was apparently engaged in lawful activities until 1877, when he became an icon of the "wildness" of the [[American Old West]] as he robbed banks, [[stagecoach]]es and railroad trains before being fatally wounded by Texas Rangers the following year. Despite Bass' short-lived criminal career, he is remembered as part of a robbery of gold on September 18, 1877 which remains the largest robbery in [[Union Pacific Railroad]]'s history.

[[File:Grissom prepares to enter Liberty Bell 7 61-MR4-76.jpg|thumb|''U.S. astronaut Gus Grissom, native of Mitchell, Indiana, in front of the Liberty Bell 7 capsule, in which he became the second American to fly in outer space'']]
[[Image:Grissom memorial.jpg|thumb|upright|''The Gus Grissom Memorial in Mitchell, Indiana'']]
Mitchell was also the birthplace of astronaut [[Gus Grissom|Virgil "Gus" Grissom]] (1926–1967). A mechanical engineering graduate of [[Purdue University]], he joined the [[United States Air Force]] and was selected as a member of [[NASA]]'s [[Project Mercury]] space program. Gus Grissom was the second American to fly in space on [[Mercury-Redstone 4|Liberty Bell 7]] and also flew aboard [[Gemini 3]]. He died in a [[Apollo 1#Accident|launch pad fire]] at [[Kennedy Space Center]] in Florida during a training exercise for Apollo 1 on January 27, 1967.<ref>{{Cite web |last=NASA |date=December 1997 |title=NASA Astronaut Biography: Virgil I. Grissom |url=https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/grissom_virgil.pdf |website=Grissom, Virgil: NASA Biographical Data}}</ref>

[[Spring Mill State Park]] is located just east of Mitchell. It includes a memorial to Grissom as well as several caves and a pioneer village. The buildings in the village are original structures from the former mill town that was located here, recreations of buildings in the town, and other pioneer-era buildings that were moved to the park.

The Monon became part of the [[Louisville and Nashville Railroad]]. Both it, and the former B&O are now part of [[CSX Transportation]]'s rail network. In modern times, Mitchell is also served by the Union Pacific system.

In the late 20th century, Mitchell's downtown area was defined as a [[historic district]] that was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. The town developed an [[Urban Enterprise Zone]], and [[industrial park]], and at the end of the century, was working to attract new businesses and industry while also capitalizing on its heritage through antique shops and tourism.

The [[Mitchell Downtown Historic District]] and [[Mitchell Opera House]] are listed in the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the 2010 census, Mitchell has a total area of {{convert|3.285|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|3.28|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (or 99.85%) is land and {{convert|0.005|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (or 0.15%) is water.<ref name="census-g001">{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1849950 |title=G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1 |access-date=2015-07-29 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213084951/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1849950 |archive-date=2020-02-13 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1870= 1087
|1880= 1439
|1890= 1583
|1900= 1772
|1910= 3438
|1920= 3025
|1930= 3226
|1940= 3393
|1950= 3245
|1960= 3552
|1970= 4092
|1980= 4641
|1990= 4669
|2000= 4567
|2010= 4350
|2020= 3933
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2012-12-11}}</ref> of 2010, there were 4,350 people, 1,786 households, and 1,145 families living in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|1326.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 2,014 housing units at an average density of {{convert|614.0|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 97.6% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.4% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.2% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.3% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.1% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.7% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 0.8% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.4% of the population.

There were 1,786 households, of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.9% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.96.

The median age in the city was 39.2 years. 24.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.7% were from 25 to 44; 25% were from 45 to 64; and 17.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.5% male and 53.5% female.

===2000 census===
As of the census<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 4,567 people, 1,884 households, and 1,235 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,345.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 2,118 housing units at an average density of {{convert|624.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 98.31% White, 0.28% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.53% of the population.

There were 1,884 households, out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,559, and the median income for a family was $33,415. Males had a median income of $28,160 versus $18,194 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $13,894. About 14.0% of families and 16.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 20.9% of those under age 18 and 16.7% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
The town has a lending library, the Mitchell Community Public Library.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.in.gov/library/files/countyindex13.pdf | title=Indiana public library directory | publisher=Indiana State Library | access-date=10 March 2018}}</ref>

==Festival==
[[Persimmon pudding]] and ice cream are sold at the Persimmon Festival held every September.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://persimmonfestival.org/ | title = Mitchell Persimmon Festival | access-date = 2014-01-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Shemanski |first=Frances |title=A Guide of Fairs and Festivals in the United States |publisher=Greenwood |page=54}}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Sam Bass (outlaw)|Sam Bass]], [[outlaw]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/bass-sam |title = Bass, Sam |accessdate=2023-09-23 |publisher=Texas State Historical Association}}</ref>
* [[Chase Briscoe]], [[NASCAR]] driver<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.motorsport.com/nascar-truck/news/who-is-nascar-truck-rookie-chase-briscoe-871919/871919/ |title = Who is NASCAR Truck rookie Chase Briscoe? |accessdate=2023-09-23 }}</ref>
* [[Terry Cole (American football)|Terry Cole]], [[NFL]] running back<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ifca-hof.org/inductee/cole-terry/ |title=COLE, TERRY {{Pipe}} Indiana Football Hall of Fame |accessdate=2023-09-23 }}</ref>
* [[Gus Grissom]], [[Mercury Seven]] [[astronaut]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Some History |url=https://lawrencecounty.in.gov/community/some-history |access-date=10 August 2022 |website=Lawrence County}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Mitchell High School (Indiana)]]
*[[List of reportedly haunted locations in the United States#Indiana|Haunted locations in Indiana]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|Mitchell, Indiana}}

==External links==
*[https://mitchell-in.gov/ City website]
*[http://www.persimmonpudding.com/celebrate.html Celebrating Persimmons (mentions the Mitchell Persimmon Festival)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20170422010707/http://mitchellnews.net/ Mitchell News website]

{{Lawrence County, Indiana}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Populated places established in 1864]]
[[Category:Cities in Lawrence County, Indiana]]
[[Category:1864 establishments in Indiana]]
[[Category:Cities in Indiana]]