Decatur County, Indiana

Decatur County
County
Decatur County Courthouse in Greensburg
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
Indiana's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°18′N85°30′W / 39.3°N 85.5°W / 39.3; -85.5
Country	United States
State	Indiana
Founded	December 12, 1821 (authorized) 1822 (organized)
Named for	Stephen Decatur, Jr.
Seat	Greensburg
Largest city	Greensburg
Area
• Total	373.32 sq mi (966.9 km2)
• Land	372.57 sq mi (965.0 km2)
• Water	0.76 sq mi (2.0 km2)  0.20%
Population  (2020)
• Total	26,472
• Density	71.9/sq mi (27.8/km2)
Congressional district	6th
Website	www.decaturcounty.in.gov
Indiana county number 16

Decatur County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 26,472. ^[1] The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Greensburg. ^[2]

History

In 1787, the US defined the Northwest Territory which included the area of present-day Indiana. In 1800, Congress separated Ohio from the Northwest Territory, designating the rest of the land as the Indiana Territory. ^[3] President Thomas Jefferson chose William Henry Harrison as the governor of the territory, and Vincennes was established as the capital. ^[4] After the Michigan Territory was separated and the Illinois Territory was formed, Indiana was reduced to its current size and geography. ^[3] By December 1816 the Indiana Territory was admitted to the Union as a state.

Starting in 1794, Native American titles to Indiana lands were extinguished by usurpation, purchase, or war and treaty. The United States acquired land from the Native Americans in the 1809 treaty of Fort Wayne, and by the treaty of St. Mary's in 1818 considerably more territory became property of the government. This included the future Decatur County, which was authorized by the state legislature on December 12, 1821. No settler was allowed in the area until the government survey was completed in 1820.

The Decatur County governing structure was formed in 1822. The county was named for Commodore Stephen Decatur Jr., naval officer in the First and Second Barbary Wars, and in the War of 1812. ^[5] Decatur was killed in a duel in 1820. ^[6]

Geography

The low rolling hills are devoted to agriculture or urban development, with only the areas carved by drainages still wooded. ^[7] The highest point (1,097 feet/334 meters ASL) is a hillock 0.8 miles (1.3 km) SSE from Kingston. ^[8] The Flatrock River flows westward through the upper part of the county, continuing into Shelby County. Clifty Creek flows southwestward through the central part of the county, continuing into Bartholomew, and Sand Creek flows south-southwestward through the lower center of the county, continuing into Jennings County.

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 373.32 square miles (966.9 km²), of which 372.57 square miles (965.0 km²) (or 99.80%) is land and 0.76 square miles (2.0 km²) (or 0.20%) is water. ^[9]

Tree on the Courthouse Tower in Greensburg, Indiana

Adjacent counties

• Rush County – north
• Franklin County – east
• Ripley County – southeast
• Jennings County – south
• Bartholomew County – west
• Shelby County – northwest

City and towns

• Greensburg (city/county seat)
• Millhousen
• New Point
• St. Paul (part)
• Westport

Census-designated places

• Clarksburg
• Lake Santee

Unincorporated places

• Adams
• Alert
• Burney
• Downeyville
• Forest Hill
• Gaynorsville
• Germantown
• Harris City
• Horace
• Kingston
• Knarr Corner
• Letts
• Letts Corner
• Mechanicsburg
• Milford
• New Pennington
• Rossburg
• Saint Maurice
• Saint Omer
• Sandusky
• Sardinia
• Slabtown
• Waynesburg
• Williamstown

Townships

• Adams
• Clay
• Clinton
• Fugit
• Jackson
• Marion
• Salt Creek
• Sand Creek
• Washington

Major highways

• Interstate 74
• U.S. Route 421
• Indiana State Road 3
• Indiana State Road 46

Protected areas

• Greenburg Reservoir State Fishing Area ^[7]

Lakes

• Greenburg Reservoir
• Lake McCoy
• Lake Santee ^[7]

Climate and weather

Greensburg, Indiana
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     2.6     34 19     2.4     40 22     3.7     50 32     4.3     62 42     5     72 53     4.3     81 62     4.1     85 65     4.2     83 63     3.1     77 56     3.1     65 44     3.8     51 35     3.2     40 25 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches Source: The Weather Channel [10]
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     65     1 −7     61     4 −6     93     10 0     109     17 6     128     22 12     110     27 17     105     29 18     107     28 17     78     25 13     78     18 7     97     11 2     81     4 −4 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in Greensburg have ranged from a low of 19 °F (−7 °C) in January to a high of 85 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −24 °F (−31 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 105 °F (41 °C) was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.42 inches (61 mm) in February to 5.03 inches (128 mm) in May. ^[10]

Government

See also: Government of Indiana

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. ^{[11] [12]}

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 acts legislated by the council, collect revenue, and manage the county government. ^{[11] [12]}

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 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. ^[12]

County Officials: The county has other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. These officers are elected to four-year terms. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare a party affiliation and to be residents of the county. ^[12]

Decatur County is part of Indiana's 6th congressional district; Indiana Senate district 42; ^[13] and Indiana House of Representatives district 67. ^[14]

United States presidential election results for Decatur County, Indiana ^[15]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	9,491	78.37%	2,406	19.87%	214	1.77%
2020	9,575	77.82%	2,439	19.82%	290	2.36%
2016	8,490	75.95%	2,121	18.97%	567	5.07%
2012	7,119	68.94%	2,941	28.48%	267	2.59%
2008	6,449	61.40%	3,892	37.06%	162	1.54%
2004	7,499	73.53%	2,621	25.70%	79	0.77%
2000	6,115	66.68%	2,889	31.50%	167	1.82%
1996	4,782	50.82%	3,190	33.90%	1,437	15.27%
1992	5,195	50.48%	2,774	26.96%	2,322	22.56%
1988	6,245	67.35%	2,979	32.13%	48	0.52%
1984	6,551	69.97%	2,766	29.54%	46	0.49%
1980	5,819	58.48%	3,646	36.64%	486	4.88%
1976	5,555	55.63%	4,365	43.72%	65	0.65%
1972	6,761	68.84%	2,994	30.48%	67	0.68%
1968	5,474	55.67%	3,602	36.63%	757	7.70%
1964	4,702	45.58%	5,564	53.94%	49	0.48%
1960	6,240	60.17%	4,080	39.34%	50	0.48%
1956	6,390	64.87%	3,427	34.79%	34	0.35%
1952	6,490	65.15%	3,393	34.06%	78	0.78%
1948	5,163	56.95%	3,808	42.00%	95	1.05%
1944	5,479	60.86%	3,471	38.55%	53	0.59%
1940	6,087	57.71%	4,417	41.88%	43	0.41%
1936	5,126	50.72%	4,887	48.35%	94	0.93%
1932	4,646	45.56%	5,437	53.31%	115	1.13%
1928	5,400	58.40%	3,791	41.00%	55	0.59%
1924	4,907	52.94%	4,092	44.15%	270	2.91%
1920	5,516	57.66%	3,896	40.73%	154	1.61%
1916	2,717	51.39%	2,374	44.90%	196	3.71%
1912	1,263	24.43%	2,246	43.44%	1,661	32.13%
1908	2,838	50.62%	2,564	45.73%	205	3.66%
1904	3,178	55.48%	2,341	40.87%	209	3.65%
1900	2,900	51.58%	2,598	46.21%	124	2.21%
1896	2,848	52.56%	2,520	46.50%	51	0.94%
1892	2,519	49.39%	2,355	46.18%	226	4.43%
1888	2,663	51.86%	2,400	46.74%	72	1.40%

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1830	5,887		—
1840	12,171		106.7%
1850	15,107		24.1%
1860	17,294		14.5%
1870	19,053		10.2%
1880	19,779		3.8%
1890	19,277		−2.5%
1900	19,518		1.3%
1910	18,793		−3.7%
1920	17,813		−5.2%
1930	17,308		−2.8%
1940	17,722		2.4%
1950	18,218		2.8%
1960	20,019		9.9%
1970	22,738		13.6%
1980	23,841		4.9%
1990	23,645		−0.8%
2000	24,555		3.8%
2010	25,740		4.8%
2020	26,472		2.8%
2023 (est.)	26,399	[16]	−0.3%
US Decennial Census [17] 1790–1960 [18] 1900–1990 [19] 1990–2000 [20] 2010–2013 [1]

2010 Census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 25,740 people, 9,977 households, and 6,995 families in the county. ^[21] The population density was 69.1 inhabitants per square mile (26.7/km²). There were 11,209 housing units at an average density of 30.1 per square mile (11.6/km²). ^[9] The racial makeup of the county was 97.3% white, 0.7% Asian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 0.6% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.7% of the population. ^[21] In terms of ancestry, In terms of ancestry, 35.5% were of English ancestry, 35.1% were of German, and 9.0% were of Irish ancestry according to 2010 American Community Survey.

Of the 9,977 households, 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.9% were non-families, and 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.02. The median age was 38.7 years. ^[21]

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $52,308. Males had a median income of $41,143 versus $30,226 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,719. About 8.3% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.3% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over. ^[22]

2020 census

Decatur County Racial Composition ^[23]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (NH)	24,769	93.56%
Black or African American (NH)	90	0.34%
Native American (NH)	35	0.13%
Asian (NH)	154	0.6%
Pacific Islander (NH)	8	0.03%
Other/Mixed (NH)	802	3%
Hispanic or Latino	614	2.3%

Education

The two school districts are Decatur County Community Schools and Greensburg Community Schools. ^[24]

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Decatur County, Indiana

References

1. "Decatur County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "Government at Crossroads: An Indiana chronology". The Herald Bulletin . January 5, 2008. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
4. Brill, Marlene Targ (2005). Indiana. Marshall Cavendish. p. 35. ISBN   978-0-7614-2020-0.
5. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p.  102.
6. De Witt Clinton Goodrich & Charles Richard Tuttle (1875). An Illustrated History of the State of Indiana. Indiana: R. S. Peale & co. p.  555.
7. Decatur County IN (Google Maps, accessed 13 August 2020)
8. Decatur County High Point, Indiana (PeakBagger.com, accessed 13 August 2020)
9. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 – County". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
10. "Monthly Averages for Greensburg IN". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
11. Indiana Code. "Title 36, Article 2, Section 3". IN.gov. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
12. Indiana Code. "Title 2, Article 10, Section 2" (PDF). IN.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 27, 2004. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
13. "Indiana Senate Districts". State of Indiana. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
14. "Indiana House Districts". State of Indiana. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
15. Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
16. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
17. "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
18. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
19. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
20. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
21. "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.
22. "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.
23. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Decatur County, Indiana".
24. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Decatur County, IN" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved October 18, 2024. - Text list

External links

• Decatur County website

39°18′N85°30′W / 39.30°N 85.50°W / 39.30; -85.50