Whitley County, Indiana

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Whitley County is a rural county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 36,825.<ref>https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/whitleycountyindiana/PST045219 Template:Dead link</ref> Whitley County is the 49th most populous county in Indiana. The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Columbia City.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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 February 7, 1835, the state legislature approved an omnibus bill<ref>John W Tyndall & OE Lesh, Standard history of Adams and Wells Counties, Indiana. pp. 284-6 (accessed 9 August 2020)</ref> that authorized the creation of thirteen counties,<ref>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.</ref> including Whitley. It was named for Col. William Whitley, who was killed in the Battle of the Thames in the War of 1812.<ref name=WCI>Template:Cite book</ref>

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 the completion of the Erie Canal. They were from New England - "Yankee" settlers, descendants of the English Puritans who settled New England in the colonial era. They were primarily members of the Congregational Church. However, 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.<ref name=WCI/>

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 urban development.<ref name=WC>Whitley County IN (Google Maps, accessed 31 July 2020)</ref> Its highest point (approx. Template:Convert ASL) is a small rise NE of Cedar Lake.<ref>Whitley County High Point, Indiana (PeakBagger.com, accessed 31 July 2020)</ref> The Eel River flows southwestward through the lower part of the county, and the Blue River flows southwestward through the upper part.<ref name=WC/>

According to the 2010 United States Census, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert (or 99.31%) is land and Template:Convert (or 0.69%) is water.<ref name=DC/>

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<ref name=WC/>

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Protected areas

Deniston Resource Area
Goose Lake Wetland Conservation Area
Pisgah Marsh Nongame Area (part)<ref name=WC/>

Major highways

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Climate and weather

Template:Climate chart In recent years, the average temperatures in Columbia City have ranged from a low of Template:Convert in January to a high of Template:Convert in July, although a record low of Template:Convert was recorded in January 1994, and a record high of Template:Convert was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from Template:Convert in February to Template:Convert in June.<ref name=WX/>

Government

Template:See also 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.<ref name=inc3623>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=inc2102>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref name=inc3623/><ref name=inc2102/>

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.<ref name=inc2102/>

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.<ref name=inc2102/>

Demographics

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2010 Census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 33,292 people, 13,001 households, and 9,228 families in the county.<ref name=DP>Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 14,281 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert.<ref name=DC>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name=DP/> In terms of ancestry, 38.2% were German, 12.6% were Irish, 12.5% were American, and 9.3% were English.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref name=DP/>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

References

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External links

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History

Geography

Adjacent counties

City and towns

Census-designated place

Unincorporated places

Townships

Lakes