The first non-Native Americans to ever set foot in what is now Fulton County, Indiana, were French traders. Few of them remained permanently as year-round residents of the area and by the 1830s there was no French population in what is now Fulton County.[3]
In the 1820s and 1830s, migrants from New England began moving to what is now Indiana in large numbers (though there was a trickle of New England settlers who arrived before this date). These were “Yankee” settlers, that is to say they were descended from the EnglishPuritans who settled New England during the colonial era. While most of them came to Indiana directly from New England, there were many who came from upstate New York. These were people whose parents had moved from New England to upstate New York in the immediate aftermath of the American Revolution. Due to the prevalence of New Englanders and New England transplants from upstate New York, the northern third of Indiana was very culturally contiguous with early New England culture for much of its early history.[3]
The Yankee migration to Indiana was a result of several factors, one of the overpopulation of New England. The old stock Yankee population had large families, often bearing up to ten children in one household. Most people were expected to have their own piece of land to farm, and due to the massive and nonstop population boom, land in New England became scarce as every son claimed his own farmstead. As a result, there was not enough land for every family to have a self-sustaining farm, and Yankee settlers began leaving New England for the Midwestern United States.[3]
They were aided in this effort by the construction and completion of the Erie Canal which made traveling to the region much easier, causing an additional surge in migrants coming from New England. Added to this was the end of the Black Hawk War, which made the region much safer to travel through and settle in for White settlers.[4]
In the case of Fulton County, there were no attempts by United States settlers to permanently settle the area until the conclusion of the Blackhawk War. Fulton County's first permanent non-Native American settlers arrived in September and October 1832, most of whom came from New England though some of whom were New England transplants from upstate New York. Most of Fulton County's New England settlers came from Franklin County, Massachusetts, Grafton County, New Hampshire and Orange County, Vermont, as well as several farming families from Maine and the rural northern region of Connecticut. At first, virtually all of these settlers were farmers.[5]
These settlers 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 what is now Cook County. The Congregational Church has subsequently gone through many divisions, and some factions, including those in Cook County, are now known as the Church of Christ and the United Church of Christ.[6]
When the New Englanders arrived, there was nothing but dense virgin forest and wild prairie. They laid out farms, constructed roads, erected government buildings and established post routes. By the spring of 1833 the settlement was a successful and thriving farming community. Rochester was laid out in 1835. The founder Alexander Chamberlain named it for his former hometown of Rochester, New York.[7] The Rochester post office was established in 1836.[8]
Fulton County was formed in 1836. It was named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat.[9] Native Americans in the county believed that a terrible monster lived in Lake Manitou and for that reason they never lived around the lake. Early settlers called it the Devil's Lake and there were many reported sightings of a monster.[10]
The 178-acre Moore Farm, then located two miles south of Rochester, was purchased in 1871 for use as the Fulton County Poor Farm.[12][13] The County Home was closed on December 31, 1965, and the entire property was sold on December 17, 1966, by the county commissioners to State Senator Robert E. Peterson of Rochester.[13][14]
Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 371.26 square miles (961.6km2), of which 368.39 square miles (954.1km2) (or 99.23%) is land and 2.88 square miles (7.5km2) (or 0.78%) is water.[15]
In recent years, average temperatures in Rochester have ranged from a low of 15°F (−9°C) in January to a high of 84°F (29°C) in July, although a record low of −25°F (−32°C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 103°F (39°C) was recorded in July 1980. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.74 inches (44mm) in February to 4.16 inches (106mm) in May.[16]
County Council: The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. 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 body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.[17][18]
Court: The county maintains a small claims court that can handle some 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.[18]
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 party affiliations and to be residents of the county.[18]
After a stretch of very narrow Democratic Party victories in the last four presidential elections of the 19th century, Fulton County became and has remained a Republican Party stronghold in presidential elections. The only exceptions to this have been Woodrow Wilson's plurality in 1912 thanks to a divided Republican vote and Franklin D. Roosevelts narrow majority in 1936 in the midst of his national landslide victory. FDR actually lost the county in 1936 even as Indiana as a whole was swept up in his 46-state landslide. The Democrats have only come reasonably close to carrying the county once since then, when Barry Goldwater won it over Lyndon Johnson by only 36 votes. This is one of only four times since 1936 that the Democrats have managed as much as 40 percent of the county's vote.
United States presidential election results for Fulton County, Indiana[22]
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 20,836people, 8,237households, and 5,736families residing in the county.[29] The population density was 56.6 inhabitants per square mile (21.9/km2). There were 9,708 housing units at an average density of 26.4 per square mile (10.2/km2).[15] The racial makeup of the county was 95.0% white, 0.7% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.5% American Indian, 2.2% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.2% of the population.[29] In terms of ancestry, 28.7% were German, 19.0% were American, 10.9% were Irish, and 10.0% were English.[30] Those citing "American" ancestry in Fulton County are of overwhelmingly English extraction, however most English Americans identify simply as having American ancestry because their roots have been in North America for so long, in some cases since the 1600s.[31][32][33][34][35]
Of the 8,237households, 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.4% were non-families, and 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age was 40.3 years.[29]
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $47,972. Males had a median income of $40,110 versus $28,417 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,119. About 8.5% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.1% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.[36]
White County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 24,688. The county seat is Monticello.
Tippecanoe County is located in the west-central portion of the U.S. state of Indiana about 22 miles east of the Illinois state line and less than 50 miles from the Chicago and the Indianapolis metro areas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 186,251. The county seat and largest city is Lafayette. It was created in 1826 from Wabash County portion of New Purchase and unorganized territory.
Pulaski County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. According to the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 12,514. The county seat is Winamac.
Marshall County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. The 2020 census recorded the population at 46,095. The county seat is Plymouth.
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.
Kosciusko County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. At the 2020 United States Census, its population was 80,240. The county seat is Warsaw.
Jasper County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 32,918. The county seat is Rensselaer.
Carroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 20,306. The county seat is Delphi.
McLean County is the largest county by land area in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 Census, it had a population of 170,954. Its county seat is Bloomington. McLean County is included in the Bloomington–Normal, IL Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Rochester is a city in, and the county seat of, Fulton County, Indiana, United States. The population was 6,270 at the 2020 census.
Talma is an unincorporated community in Newcastle Township, Fulton County, Indiana.
Harrison Township is one of twelve townships in Pulaski County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 590 and it contained 265 housing units.
Tippecanoe Township is one of twelve townships in Pulaski County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 994 and it contained 521 housing units.
Aubbeenaubbee Township is one of eight townships in Fulton County, Indiana. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,346 and it contained 624 housing units.
Newcastle Township is one of eight townships in Fulton County, Indiana. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,390 and it contained 552 housing units.
Union Township is one of eight townships in Fulton County, Indiana. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,259 and it contained 691 housing units.
Leiters Ford is an unincorporated community in Aubbeenaubbee Township, Fulton County, Indiana.
The Three Rivers Conference is a high school athletic conference in northeast Indiana, consisting of schools in Cass, Fulton, Miami, Wabash, and Whitley counties.
Tippecanoe is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Tippecanoe Township, Marshall County, Indiana, United States.
↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
1 2 3 Brief County History of Fulton County, Indiana, Its County Offices, and 1942 Inventory of Its County Archives by WPA Field Workers; Prepared by the Indiana Historical Records Survey, Division of Community Service Programs, Work Projects Administration; Sponsored by Indiana Historical Bureau – The Bookmark, 1942 – page 199
↑ Brief County History of Fulton County, Indiana, Its County Offices, and 1942 Inventory of Its County Archives by WPA Field Workers; Prepared by the Indiana Historical Records Survey, Division of Community Service Programs, Work Projects Administration; Sponsored by Indiana Historical Bureau – The Bookmark, 1942 – page 200
↑ Brief County History of Fulton County, Indiana, Its County Offices, and 1942 Inventory of Its County Archives by WPA Field Workers; Prepared by the Indiana Historical Records Survey, Division of Community Service Programs, Work Projects Administration; Sponsored by Indiana Historical Bureau – The Bookmark, 1942 – page 209
↑ Brief County History of Fulton County, Indiana, Its County Offices, and 1942 Inventory of Its County Archives by WPA Field Workers; Prepared by the Indiana Historical Records Survey, Division of Community Service Programs, Work Projects Administration; Sponsored by Indiana Historical Bureau – The Bookmark, 1942 – page 211
↑ Reynolds Farley, 'The New Census Question about Ancestry: What Did It Tell Us?', Demography, Vol. 28, No. 3 (August 1991), pp. 414, 421.
↑ Stanley Lieberson and Lawrence Santi, 'The Use of Nativity Data to Estimate Ethnic Characteristics and Patterns', Social Science Research, Vol. 14, No. 1 (1985), pp. 44-6.
↑ Stanley Lieberson and Mary C. Waters, 'Ethnic Groups in Flux: The Changing Ethnic Responses of American Whites', Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 487, No. 79 (September 1986), pp. 82-86.
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