Huntington County, Indiana

"Huntington County" redirects here. Not to be confused with Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania.

Huntington County
County
Huntington County Courthouse in Huntington
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
Indiana's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 40°50′N85°29′W / 40.83°N 85.49°W / 40.83; -85.49
Country	United States
State	Indiana
Founded	February 2, 1832 (authorized) May 5, 1834 (organized)
Named for	Samuel Huntington
Seat	Huntington
Largest city	Huntington
Area
• Total	387.72 sq mi (1,004.2 km2)
• Land	382.65 sq mi (991.1 km2)
• Water	5.07 sq mi (13.1 km2)  1.31%
Population  (2020)
• Total	36,662
• Density	95.8/sq mi (37.0/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	3rd
Website	www.huntington.in.us/county/
Indiana county number 35

Huntington County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. According to the 2020 United States Census, the population was 36,662. ^[1] The county seat (and only city) is Huntington. ^[2]

Huntington County comprises the Huntington, Indiana micropolitan statistical area and is included in the Fort Wayne–Huntington–Auburn Combined Statistical Area.

History

The city of Huntington from the southwest

Huntington County was organized from the previously unorganized Indiana Territory and lands gained by the Adams New Purchase of 1818. The county's creation was authorized by an act of the Indiana state legislature dated February 2, 1832. Organization of the county's governing structure began on May 5, 1834. ^[3] The first non–Native American settlers in what has since become Huntington County were a group of 29 farm families from Connecticut who arrived in the early 1830s. These were "Yankee" settlers, meaning they were descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the colonial era. These settlers were able to get to what has since become Huntington County due to the construction of the Wabash and Erie Canal, which was a shipping canal that connected the Great Lakes to the Ohio River by way of a manmade waterway. When they arrived in what has since become Huntington County, the settlers from Connecticut found dense virgin forest and wild prairie. The original 29 "Yankee" families from Connecticut laid out roads; built a post office; established post routes; and built a town hall, a church, and a schoolhouse from the trees in the area that they cut down. ^[4] The county was named for Samuel Huntington, who signed the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. ^[5] He was also president of the Continental Congress under the Articles of Confederation.

Geography

The terrain of Huntington County consists of low rolling hills, completely devoted to agriculture or urban development. The Wabash River flows to the west through the upper-central part of the county, while the Salamonie River flows to the west through the lower part. ^[6] Its highest point (about 925 feet (282 m) above sea level) is at the southwest corner. ^[7] According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 387.72 square miles (1,004.2 km²), of which 382.65 square miles (991.1 km²) (or 98.69%) is land and 5.07 square miles (13.1 km²) (or 1.31%) is water. ^[8]

Adjacent counties

• Whitley County – north
• Allen County – northeast
• Wells County – east
• Grant County – south
• Wabash County – west

Highways

• Interstate 69
• U.S. Route 24
• U.S. Route 224
• State Road 3
• State Road 5
• State Road 9
• State Road 16
• State Road 105
• State Road 114
• State Road 116
• State Road 124
• State Road 218

City and towns

• Andrews
• Huntington (city)
• Markle (partial)
• Mount Etna
• Roanoke
• Warren

Townships

• Clear Creek
• Dallas
• Huntington
• Jackson
• Jefferson
• Lancaster
• Polk
• Rock Creek
• Salamonie
• Union
• Warren
• Wayne

Unincorporated communities

• Banquo
• Bippus
• Bowerstown
• Bracken
• Buckeye
• Goblesville
• Harlansburg
• Lancaster
• Mahon
• Majenica
• Makin
• Mardenis
• Milo
• Pleasant Plain
• Plum Tree
• Roanoke Station
• Rock Creek Center
• Simpson

Protected areas

• JE Roush Fish and Wildlife Area ^[6]
• Lost Bridge State Recreation Area ^[6]

Notable people

Public servants

• Samuel E. Cook (1860–1946), U.S. congressman
• J. Danforth Quayle, U.S. representative, senator, vice-president
• J. Edward Roush (1920–2004), U.S. representative, father of "911"
• Elizebeth (Smith) Friedman (1892–1980), author and pioneer in cryptology during WWI to WWII era, called "America's first female cryptanalyst"

Celebrities

• Chris Schenkel (1923–2005), sportscaster
• Archbishop John F. Noll (1875–1956), founded Catholic newspaper Our Sunday Visitor, founded Victory Noll and St. Felix Monastery.

Artists

• Mick Mars, guitarist for Mötley Crüe.

Athletes

• Gary Dilley, Tokyo Olympics swimmer
• George Haines, Olympic Women's Swim coach
• Chris Kramer, professional basketball player. Kramer played college basketball at Purdue University where he was two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

Points of interest

• Huntington County Historical Museum
• Huntington University Arboretum and Botanical Garden
• Huntington University
• J. Edward Roush Lake
• Merillat Centre for the Arts
• Our Sunday Visitor Corporate Headquarters
• Sheets Wildlife Museum and Learning Center
• The Forks Of The Wabash
• The Indiana Room Genealogy Center
• Tel-Hy Nature Preserve
• United States Vice Presidential Museum
• Victory Noll Center

Education

School district

• Huntington County Community School Corporation

Private schools

• Huntington Area Home Educators
• Huntington Catholic School

Higher education

• Huntington University

News and media

Newspapers

• The Herald-Press daily newspaper
• The Huntington County TAB
• Warren Weekly
• HuntingtonFreePress
• Huntingtonian

Radio

• WBZQ 1300 AM
• Huntington North High School WVSH Viking Radio
• WQHU-LP Huntington University Radio WQHU 105.5-FM Forester Radio]

Climate and weather

Huntington, Indiana
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     2     32 16     1.8     37 18     2.9     48 28     3.4     61 38     4.1     73 48     4.4     83 58     3.6     87 62     3.6     84 60     2.8     78 52     2.8     65 41     2.9     50 32     2.8     38 22 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches Source: The Weather Channel [9]
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     51     0 −9     46     3 −8     74     9 −2     87     16 3     104     23 9     111     28 14     91     31 17     90     29 16     72     26 11     72     18 5     74     10 0     71     3 −6 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in Huntington have ranged from a low of 16 °F (−9 °C) in January to a high of 87 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −28 °F (−33 °C) was recorded in January 1982 and a record high of 105 °F (41 °C) was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.82 inches (46 mm) in February to 4.37 inches (111 mm) in June. ^[9]

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 fiscal branch of the county government; controls spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives, elected to four-year terms from county districts, are responsible for setting 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. ^{[10] [11]}

Board of Commissioners: The executive and legislative body of the county. The commissioners are elected county-wide to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners are charged with collecting revenue and managing the county government. ^{[10] [11]}

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. ^[11]

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 party affiliations and to be residents of the county. ^[11]

Huntington County is part of Indiana's 3rd congressional district; Indiana Senate districts 17 and 19; ^[12] and Indiana House of Representatives district 50. ^[13]

Presidential Election Analysis: Huntington County has been strongly Republican; Lyndon B. Johnson was the last Democratic Party candidate to carry the county (1964).

United States presidential election results for Huntington County, Indiana ^[14]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	13,147	73.57%	4,255	23.81%	468	2.62%
2016	11,649	71.99%	3,506	21.67%	1,026	6.34%
2012	10,862	68.76%	4,596	29.09%	339	2.15%
2008	10,291	62.91%	5,843	35.72%	223	1.36%
2004	11,617	74.34%	3,877	24.81%	133	0.85%
2000	10,113	69.17%	4,119	28.17%	388	2.65%
1996	8,275	58.79%	4,287	30.46%	1,513	10.75%
1992	9,093	56.79%	3,855	24.07%	3,065	19.14%
1988	11,675	74.87%	3,873	24.84%	46	0.29%
1984	10,805	69.77%	4,598	29.69%	84	0.54%
1980	9,497	59.59%	5,415	33.98%	1,025	6.43%
1976	9,182	57.78%	6,515	41.00%	193	1.21%
1972	10,858	68.48%	4,908	30.96%	89	0.56%
1968	9,002	54.48%	6,238	37.75%	1,283	7.76%
1964	7,438	44.16%	9,308	55.26%	98	0.58%
1960	10,658	59.44%	7,163	39.95%	109	0.61%
1956	11,024	64.15%	6,027	35.07%	133	0.77%
1952	10,508	61.98%	6,114	36.06%	331	1.95%
1948	8,178	52.01%	7,202	45.81%	343	2.18%
1944	8,668	57.15%	6,128	40.41%	370	2.44%
1940	9,110	55.22%	7,220	43.77%	167	1.01%
1936	7,024	44.75%	8,361	53.26%	312	1.99%
1932	6,791	42.92%	8,697	54.97%	333	2.10%
1928	8,323	58.88%	5,678	40.17%	135	0.96%
1924	7,437	51.42%	5,506	38.07%	1,519	10.50%
1920	8,100	53.67%	6,506	43.11%	487	3.23%
1916	3,761	45.73%	3,833	46.60%	631	7.67%
1912	2,108	28.20%	3,119	41.72%	2,249	30.08%
1908	3,973	47.62%	3,712	44.49%	659	7.90%
1904	4,385	52.52%	3,290	39.41%	674	8.07%
1900	4,122	50.96%	3,691	45.64%	275	3.40%
1896	4,117	51.31%	3,750	46.73%	157	1.96%
1892	3,384	46.66%	3,460	47.70%	409	5.64%
1888	3,559	49.23%	3,481	48.15%	189	2.61%

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1840	1,579		—
1850	7,850		397.2%
1860	14,867		89.4%
1870	19,036		28.0%
1880	21,805		14.5%
1890	27,644		26.8%
1900	28,901		4.5%
1910	28,982		0.3%
1920	31,671		9.3%
1930	29,073		−8.2%
1940	29,931		3.0%
1950	31,400		4.9%
1960	33,814		7.7%
1970	34,970		3.4%
1980	35,596		1.8%
1990	35,427		−0.5%
2000	38,075		7.5%
2010	37,124		−2.5%
2020	36,662		−1.2%
2023 (est.)	36,781	[15]	0.3%
US Decennial Census [16] 1790–1960 [17] 1900–1990 [18] 1990–2000 [19] 2010–2013 [1]

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 37,124 people, 14,218 households, and 10,074 families in the county. ^[20] The population density was 97.0 inhabitants per square mile (37.5/km²). There were 15,805 housing units at an average density of 41.3 per square mile (15.9/km²). ^[8] The racial makeup of the county was 97.1% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.4% black or African American, 0.5% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.7% of the population. ^[20] In terms of ancestry, 37.9% were German, 14.9% were Irish, 12.9% were American, and 12.1% were English. ^[21]

Of the 14,218 households, 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.1% were non-families, and 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age was 39.0 years. ^[20]

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $55,630. Males had a median income of $41,648 versus $30,218 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,575. About 7.7% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over. ^[22]

See also

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

Further reading

• History of Huntington County, Indiana . Walsworth Publishing Co. (1887).

References

1. "Population and Housing State Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. History of Huntington County, Indiana: From the Earliest Time to The Present . . Walsworth Publishing Co. January 1887. p. 321.
4. History of Huntington County, Indiana: From the Earliest Time to The Present . . Walsworth Publishing Co. January 1887. p. 321.
5. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p.  163.
6. Huntington County IN (Google Maps, accessed 28 July 2020)
7. Huntington County High Point, Indiana (PeakBagger.com, accessed 28 July 2020)
8. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
9. "Monthly Averages for Huntington IN". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
10. Indiana Code. "Title 36, Article 2, Section 3". IN.gov. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
11. Indiana Code. "Title 2, Article 10, Section 2" (PDF). IN.gov. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
12. "Indiana Senate Districts". State of Indiana. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
13. "Indiana House Districts" (PDF). State of Indiana. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
14. Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
15. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
16. "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
17. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
18. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
19. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
20. "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.
21. "Selected Social Characteristics in the US – 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 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.

External links

• Huntington County Chamber of Commerce
• Official Web site of Huntington, Indiana
• Huntington County Community Network
• Huntington Herald Press daily newspaper
• Huntington County United Economic Development

40°50′N85°29′W / 40.83°N 85.49°W / 40.83; -85.49