Occupied for thousands of years by cultures of indigenous peoples, Allen County was organized by European Americans on December 17, 1823, from Delaware and Randolph counties; and formed on April 1, 1824, at the Ewing Tavern. The county is named for Colonel John Allen, an attorney and Kentucky state senator who was killed in the War of 1812.[4] Fort Wayne, founded at the confluences of the Maumee, St. Joseph, and St. Marys rivers, was chosen as the county seat in May 1824.
Geography
Allen County townships.
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 660.02 square miles (1,709.4km2), the largest county in Indiana, of which 657.31 square miles (1,702.4km2) (or 99.59%) is land and 2.71 square miles (7.0km2) (or 0.41%) is water.[5]
U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9] 1990-2000[10] 2010-2019[1]
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 355,329people, 137,851households, and 90,892families residing in the county.[11] The population density was 540.6 inhabitants per square mile (208.7/km2). There were 152,184 housing units at an average density of 231.5 per square mile (89.4/km2).[5] The racial makeup of the county was 79.3% white, 11.7% black or African American, 2.7% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.9% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.5% of the population.[11] In terms of ancestry, 33.4% were German, 11.4% were Irish, 10.7% were American, and 8.1% were English.[12]
Of the 137,851households, 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.1% were non-families, and 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.12. The median age was 35.3 years.[11]
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $60,184. Males had a median income of $45,294 versus $33,685 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,532. About 9.1% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.[13]
Fort Wayne is cited as having the highest Burmeserefugee population in the United States, with between 3,000 and 3,500.[14]
Since 1852, Allen County has been home to an Old Order Amish community that speaks an Alsatian dialect, which is quite rare among Amish. There are about 3,190 Amish living around Grabill and New Haven as of 2017.[16]
County Council: The seven member county council has the ultimate decision-making power regarding fiscal affairs of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Four representatives are elected from county districts, and three members are elected at large. 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.[17][18]
Board of Commissioners: The executive and administrative body of the county is made of a three-member board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners serves as president of the board. The commissioners are charged with enacting and executing legislation, the collection of revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.[17][18]
Court: The county maintains a Circuit Court and a Superior Court.[19] These are the trial courts of general jurisdiction. Allen Superior Court hears the vast majority of cases, and has several divisions with multiple courtrooms. There are 9 judges hearing cases on the Allen Superior Court; the Chief Judge of the Allen Superior Court is the Honorable Frances "Fran" C. Gull, first elected as a judge in 1996.
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 a party affiliation and to be residents of the county.[18]
The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services.
Over the last 100 years, Allen County has been a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. The Democratic national landslides of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 and 1936 as well as Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 constitute the only occasions since then that a Republican presidential candidate failed to carry the county, and even in 1964, Johnson only won the county by 1.4% and less than 1,500 votes. As of 2020, Joe Biden was the highest vote earner for a Democratic candidate in the history of the county with 73,189 votes. Donald Trump achieved the same feat for his party, with 92,083 votes.
Although Allen County is rather conservative for an urban county, the presence of Fort Wayne makes the county one of the Democrats' strongest counties in Indiana. In 2008, Barack Obama became the first Democratic president after Johnson to receive 40% of the county's vote. While he lost the county by 4 points, the closest that a Democrat has come to carrying the county, he won the city of Fort Wayne itself by six points.[22] However, in 2016, Donald Trump won the county by 19 points and city by 6, but in 2020, while Joe Biden lost the county by 11 points, he recaptured Fort Wayne.[23][24] The last Democratic Governor to win the county was Frank O'Bannon in 2000 and the last Senator was Evan Bayh during his 2004 landslide.[25][26]
Following the 1930 Census, Fort Wayne was drawn into Indiana's 4th congressional district, which essentially became the 3rd district following 2000 Census. Fort Wayne has been represented in House by Republicans for all but 20 years since 1932. The streak was only broken by four Democrats: James Indus Farley from 1933 to 1939, Edward H. Kruse for a single term in 1949–1951, J. Edward Roush from 1971 to 1977 and Jill Long Thompson from 1989 to 1995.[27]
United States presidential election results for Allen County, Indiana[28]
The Allen County Courthouse, looking west in 2012.
The Allen County Courthouse was designed by Brentwood S. Tolan of Fort Wayne, and was built by James Stewart and Company of Saint Louis, Missouri. When the cornerstone was laid in 1897, the oldest man in the county, Louis Peltier, was present; he remembered Fort Wayne when it was a fort. The courthouse was completed in 1902 at a total cost of $817,553. At its dedication, Mayor Henry C. Berghoff and Governor Winfield T. Durbin were present. President Theodore Roosevelt was scheduled to attend as well, although he ultimately did not. Built in the Beaux-Arts architecture style, it was one of the most expensive courthouses in the state. It also was filled with artwork that cost more than other entire courthouses of the time. The courthouse has been protected as a National Historic Landmark since 2003. The building is now used primarily as a government annex, as most of the offices were moved across Main Street to the Edwin J. Rousseau Centre in 1971.[30]
In recent years, average temperatures in Fort Wayne have ranged from a low of 16°F (−9°C) in January to a high of 84°F (29°C) in July, although a record low of −24°F (−31°C) was recorded in January 1918 and a record high of 106°F (41°C) was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.94 inches (49mm) in February to 4.04 inches (103mm) in June.[31]
Economy
In the latter half of the 20th century, shifts in manufacturing patterns led to the reduction of the number of manufacturing plants and jobs in Allen County. However, Allen County's economy has diversified with time to include defense and security, healthcare, and insurance.[32] Agriculture is also a vital part of the county's economy. In 2009, Forbes ranked the Fort Wayne metropolitan area 67th on its list of 200 metropolitan areas in the "Best Places For Business And Careers" report. Individually, Fort Wayne was ranked 5th in cost of living and 12th in cost of doing business.[33]
Allen County is home of Purdue Fort Wayne (PFW), with an enrollment of 14,192, it is the fifth-largest public university campus in Indiana. The county also holds the main campus of the Northeast Region of Ivy Tech Community College, the second-largest public community college campus in Indiana. Indiana University maintains the third public higher educational facility in the city with the Fort Wayne Center for Medical Education, a branch of the IU School of Medicine.
Fort Wayne and Allen County residents have been served by the Allen County Public Library (ACPL) and its thirteen branches since its founding in 1895 as the Fort Wayne Public Library. The entire library system began an $84.1million overhaul of its branches in 2002, finishing work by 2007.[36] The centerpiece, the Main Library Branch, now covers 367,000 square feet (34,100m2), featuring an art gallery, underground parking garage, bookstore, café, and community auditorium.[37] According to data from 2005, 5.4million materials were borrowed by patrons, and 2.5million visits were made throughout the library system.[38] The Fred J. Reynolds Historical Genealogy Department, located in the Main Library Branch, is the largest public genealogy department in the United States, home to more than 350,000 printed volumes and 513,000 items of microfilm and microfiche.[39]
Parks
In addition to the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation department (see List of parks in Fort Wayne, Indiana), Allen County Parks operates four parks:
Fox Island (southwest Allen County near Aboite)
Metea (northeast Allen County near Leo)
Payton (northern Allen County near Huntertown)
Cook's Landing (northern Allen County on Coldwater Rd.)
Allen County Parks are only partially tax supported. Operating expenses must be met through user and program fees. Admission is $2.00 per person age 7 and older. Passes are available on an annual basis (good for one year from purchase date) starting at $15.00. Activities at various parks include hiking, swimming, fishing, sledding, cross-country skiing (rentals available), playgrounds, picnic areas, play fields, and many nature-based programs for all ages. Wheeled vehicles (except wheelchairs) are not permitted on trails, and pets are not permitted in the state nature preserve areas (clearly marked).[40]
Transportation
Map of Allen County, Indiana with municipalities and major roadways. Unincorporated towns represented by red dot.
Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is 18 miles (29 km) west of the Ohio border and 50 miles (80 km) south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 census, making it the second-most populous city in Indiana after Indianapolis, and the 83rd-most populous city in the United States. It is the principal city of the Fort Wayne metropolitan area, consisting of Allen and Whitley counties which had an estimated population of 423,038 as of 2021. Fort Wayne is the cultural and economic center of northeastern Indiana.
Adams County lies in northeastern Indiana in the United States and shares its eastern border with Ohio. It was officially established in 1836. The county seat is Decatur. According to the 2020 census, its population was 35,809, an increase of 4.1% from 34,387 in 2010. The county has four incorporated cities and towns with a total population of over 15,000, as well as many small unincorporated communities. The county is divided into 12 townships which provide local services. There are four Indiana state roads in the county, as well as three U.S. Routes and one railroad line. In 2017, about a quarter of the county's population was Swiss Amish that settled in the Southern half of the county around Berne.
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States census, it had a population of 37,936. Its county seat is Crawfordsville. The county is divided into eleven townships which provide local services.
Wells County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 28,180. Its seat of government is Bluffton. Wells County is included in the Fort Wayne Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Fort Wayne—Huntington—Auburn Combined Statistical Area.
Randolph County is a county located in the central section of U.S. state of Indiana, on its eastern border with Ohio. As of 2020, the population was 24,502. The county seat is Winchester.
Ohio County is a county located in southeastern Indiana. With a 2020 population of 5,940, and an area of just 87 square miles, Ohio County is the smallest county in Indiana by area and the least populous. The county seat and only incorporated municipality is Rising Sun. The county was officially established in 1844 and was one of the last Indiana counties to be created. Ohio County borders the state of Kentucky across the Ohio River for which it was named. It is part of the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is divided into four townships which provide local services. Three state roads pass through or into the county.
Noble County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 47,457. The county seat is Albion. The county is divided into 13 townships which provide local services. Noble County comprises the Kendallville, IN Micropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Fort Wayne-Huntington-Auburn, IN Combined Statistical Area.
Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 45,011. The county seat is Bedford. Lawrence County comprises the Bedford, IN Micropolitan Statistical Area.
LaPorte County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 112,417. The county seat is the city of La Porte, and the largest city is Michigan City. This county is part of the Northwest Indiana and Michiana regions of the Chicago metropolitan area. The LaPorte County Courthouse is located in the county seat of La Porte and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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 miles (89 km) east of South Bend, 105 miles (169 km) west of Toledo, Ohio, and 175 miles (282 km) 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.
Bartholomew County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 82,208 at the 2020 census. The county seat is Columbus. The county was determined by the U.S. Census Bureau to be home to the mean center of U.S. population in 1900.
New Haven is a city in Adams, Jefferson, and St. Joseph townships, Allen County, Indiana, United States. It sits immediately east of the city of Fort Wayne, the second largest city in Indiana, and is situated mostly along the southern banks of the Maumee River. The population was 15,843 as of 2022.
As of March 2020, the Fort Wayne–Huntington–Auburn Combined Statistical Area (CSA), or Fort Wayne Metropolitan Area, or Northeast Indiana is a federally designated metropolitan area consisting of eight counties in northeast Indiana, anchored by the city of Fort Wayne.
Aboite Township is one of twenty townships in Allen County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 35,765, up from 28,338 in 2000.
Milan Township is one of twenty townships in Allen County, Indiana, United States. Milan Township is located in east central Allen County, with the Maumee River meandering across the township. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,749. The township is highly rural, with only 1,137 houses in the 2010 census. Many of the residents of Milan Township are Swiss Amish who mostly speak a Low Alemannic Alsatian dialect. Milan township is generally demarcated by Schwartz Road to the west, Notestine Road to the north, Sampson Road to the east, and Gar Creek Road to the south.
Lafayette Township is one of twenty townships in Allen County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,354.
Lake Township is one of twenty townships in Allen County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 2,301.
Saint Joseph Township is one of twenty townships in Allen County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 72,245.
Washington Township is one of twenty townships in Allen County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 36,092.
Wayne Township is one of twenty townships in Allen County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 103,803.
↑ The Amish Schools of Indiana: Faith in Education, by Stephen Bowers; p. 40 Harroff. Retrieved on July 25, 2009
↑ Perez, Pamela, (September 27, 2001). The debate over the library It could revitalize downtown, say supporters. It's too big, say opponents. The News-Sentinel. Retrieved on February 6, 2009
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