Jennings County, Indiana

Jennings County
County
Jennings County courthouse in Vernon, Indiana
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
Indiana's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°00′N85°38′W / 39°N 85.63°W / 39; -85.63
Country	United States
State	Indiana
Founded	1817
Named for	Jonathan Jennings
Seat	Vernon
Largest city	North Vernon
Area
• Total	378.34 sq mi (979.9 km2)
• Land	376.58 sq mi (975.3 km2)
• Water	1.76 sq mi (4.6 km2)  0.47%
Population  (2020)
• Total	27,613
• Density	73/sq mi (28/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	6th
Indiana county number 40

Jennings County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 27,613. ^[1] The county seat is Vernon. ^[2]

History

Jennings County was formed in 1817. It was named for the first Governor of Indiana and a nine-term congressman, Jonathan Jennings. Jennings was governor when the county was organized. ^[3]

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 378.34 square miles (979.9 km²), of which 376.58 square miles (975.3 km²) (or 99.53%) is land and 1.76 square miles (4.6 km²) (or 0.47%) is water. ^[4] It is a rural county, with majority of the county consisting of personal farms and woodlands. There are only two incorporated towns in this county, Vernon, the county seat, and North Vernon. Both are quite small and underdeveloped by urban standards. The county is located in the center of an imaginary triangle consisting of Indianapolis, IN, Cincinnati, OH, and Louisville, KY and requires only 11⁄4 hour drive time to any of these urban centers.

It is also home to the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, located just outside North Vernon, at which various training exercises and scenarios are conducted for homeland security and other similar purposes. ^[5]

City

• North Vernon

Town

• Vernon

Census-designated places

• Butlerville
• Country Squire Lakes
• Hayden
• Scipio

Other unincorporated places

• Brewersville
• Commiskey
• Four Corners
• Grayford
• Hilltown
• Lovett
• Nebraska
• Paris
• Paris Crossing
• Queensville
• San Jacinto
• Walnut Ridge
• Zenas

Townships

• Bigger
• Campbell
• Center
• Columbia
• Geneva
• Lovett
• Marion
• Montgomery
• Sand Creek
• Spencer
• Vernon

Adjacent counties

• Decatur County (north)
• Ripley County (east)
• Jefferson County (southeast)
• Scott County (south)
• Jackson County (west)
• Bartholomew County (northwest)

Major highways

Sources: National Atlas, ^[6] U.S. Census Bureau ^[7]

• U.S. Route 50
• State Road 3
• State Road 7
• State Road 250

Parks and protected areas

• Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Muscatatuck County Park
• Selmier State Forest

Climate and weather

Vernon, Indiana
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     3     38 22     2.7     45 26     3.8     55 34     4.4     66 43     4.7     75 52     3.8     83 61     4.4     86 65     4.4     84 63     2.9     78 56     3.2     67 44     3.8     54 36     3.4     43 27 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches Source: The Weather Channel [8]
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     75     3 −6     69     7 −3     96     13 1     111     19 6     120     24 11     97     28 16     112     30 18     112     29 17     73     26 13     81     19 7     97     12 2     86     6 −3 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in Vernon have ranged from a low of 22 °F (−6 °C) in January to a high of 86 °F (30 °C) in July, although a record low of −24 °F (−31 °C) was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of 105 °F (41 °C) was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.71 inches (69 mm) in February to 4.72 inches (120 mm) in May. ^[8]

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 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. ^{[9] [10]}

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. ^{[9] [10]}

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. ^[10]

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. ^[10]

Jennings County is part of Indiana's 6th congressional district and is represented in Congress by Republican Greg Pence. It is also part of Indiana Senate districts 43 and 45 ^[11] and Indiana House of Representatives districts 66 and 69. ^[12]

Jennings County is, and has historically been, a staunchly Republican county and in the top 5 highest taxed counties in the state. Democratic presidential candidates have won Jennings County only thrice in the past 130 years.

United States presidential election results for Jennings County, Indiana ^[13]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	9,490	77.29%	2,523	20.55%	265	2.16%
2016	8,224	73.23%	2,364	21.05%	643	5.73%
2012	6,120	59.71%	3,821	37.28%	309	3.01%
2008	6,261	52.88%	5,312	44.87%	266	2.25%
2004	6,864	65.27%	3,538	33.64%	115	1.09%
2000	5,732	60.37%	3,549	37.38%	213	2.24%
1996	4,461	42.81%	4,223	40.53%	1,736	16.66%
1992	4,392	42.66%	3,471	33.72%	2,432	23.62%
1988	5,636	60.29%	3,667	39.23%	45	0.48%
1984	6,356	65.48%	3,264	33.63%	87	0.90%
1980	5,498	55.98%	3,931	40.02%	393	4.00%
1976	4,505	49.99%	4,430	49.16%	77	0.85%
1972	5,156	63.21%	2,903	35.59%	98	1.20%
1968	4,416	51.11%	2,996	34.68%	1,228	14.21%
1964	3,469	44.41%	4,307	55.14%	35	0.45%
1960	4,478	56.63%	3,403	43.03%	27	0.34%
1956	4,502	60.72%	2,879	38.83%	33	0.45%
1952	4,460	61.21%	2,777	38.11%	49	0.67%
1948	3,485	52.52%	3,084	46.47%	67	1.01%
1944	3,643	58.58%	2,537	40.79%	39	0.63%
1940	3,921	56.51%	2,989	43.08%	29	0.42%
1936	3,594	52.67%	3,157	46.27%	72	1.06%
1932	3,020	44.96%	3,603	53.64%	94	1.40%
1928	3,705	60.76%	2,369	38.85%	24	0.39%
1924	3,506	54.41%	2,730	42.36%	208	3.23%
1920	3,404	55.65%	2,603	42.55%	110	1.80%
1916	1,791	50.01%	1,686	47.08%	104	2.90%
1912	955	27.06%	1,577	44.69%	997	28.25%
1908	2,100	51.23%	1,871	45.65%	128	3.12%
1904	2,139	54.26%	1,688	42.82%	115	2.92%
1900	2,155	51.84%	1,925	46.31%	77	1.85%
1896	2,040	52.00%	1,850	47.16%	33	0.84%
1892	1,785	49.61%	1,381	38.38%	432	12.01%
1888	2,057	55.55%	1,598	43.15%	48	1.30%

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1820	2,000		—
1830	3,974		98.7%
1840	8,829		122.2%
1850	12,096		37.0%
1860	14,749		21.9%
1870	16,218		10.0%
1880	16,453		1.4%
1890	14,608		−11.2%
1900	15,757		7.9%
1910	14,203		−9.9%
1920	13,280		−6.5%
1930	11,800		−11.1%
1940	13,680		15.9%
1950	15,250		11.5%
1960	17,267		13.2%
1970	19,454		12.7%
1980	22,854		17.5%
1990	23,661		3.5%
2000	27,554		16.5%
2010	28,525		3.5%
2020	27,613		−3.2%
2023 (est.)	27,622	[14]	0.0%
U.S. Decennial Census [15] 1790-1960 [16] 1900-1990 [17] 1990-2000 [18] 2010 [19]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 28,525 people, 10,680 households, and 7,733 families residing in the county. ^[20] The population density was 75.7 inhabitants per square mile (29.2/km²). There were 12,069 housing units at an average density of 32.0 per square mile (12.4/km²). ^[4] The racial makeup of the county was 96.8% white, 0.8% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 1.0% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.0% of the population. ^[20] In terms of ancestry, 26.2% were German, 16.3% were Irish, 14.7% were American, and 7.2% were English. ^[21]

Of the 10,680 households, 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 27.6% were non-families, and 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.06. The median age was 38.4 years. ^[20]

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $48,470. Males had a median income of $38,506 versus $27,633 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,636. About 8.9% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over. ^[22]

Education

Jennings County residents may obtain a library card from the Jennings County Public Library in North Vernon. ^[23]

In popular culture

Jennings County is the setting of the novel The Friendly Persuasion, later adapted into the Oscar-nominated film Friendly Persuasion in 1956. Although initially planned to be filmed on location, it was finally filmed in California. ^{[24] [ circular reference ]}

Notable residents

• Sarah T. Bolton, poet
• Ovid Butler, founder of Butler University
• Royce Campbell, jazz guitarist
• Cliff Daringer, Federal League baseball player
• Rolla Daringer, Major League Baseball player
• Lincoln Dixon, U.S. Representative from Indiana, 1905–1919
• Scott Earl, Major League Baseball player
• Robert Sanford Foster, Civil War General
• John "Spider" Miller, 2015 & 2017 Walker Cup team captain
• Jethro New, frontiersmen, Continental Army officer
• Jeptha D. New, U.S. Representative from Indiana, 1875–1877, 1879–1881
• John C. New, Treasurer of the United States, 1875-1876
• Horatio C. Newcomb, Mayor of Indianapolis, 1849-1851
• Hannah Milhous Nixon, mother of President Richard Nixon
• Pat O'Connor, polesitter for the 1957 Indianapolis 500 and member of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame
• Mike Simon, Major League Baseball player
• Jessamyn West, author
• Edgar Whitcomb, 43rd Governor of Indiana
• Albert Edward Wiggam, psychologist, lecturer, and author

References

1. "Jennings County, Indiana". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved June 2, 2023.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 9, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. De Witt Clinton Goodrich & Charles Richard Tuttle (1875). An Illustrated History of the State of Indiana. Indiana: R. S. Peale & co. pp.  563.
4. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
5. "Muscatatuck Urban Training Center". United States Department of Defense. Retrieved October 5, 2007.
6. National Atlas Archived December 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
7. "U.S. Census Bureau TIGER shape files". Archived from the original on May 23, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
8. "Monthly Averages for Vernon, Indiana". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
9. Indiana Code. "Title 36, Article 2, Section 3". IN.gov. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
10. Indiana Code. "Title 2, Article 10, Section 2" (PDF). IN.gov. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
11. "Indiana Senate Districts". State of Indiana. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
12. "Indiana House Districts". State of Indiana. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
13. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
14. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
15. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
16. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
17. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
18. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
19. "Jennings County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
20. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
21. "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
22. "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
23. "Get A Library Card". Jennings County Public Library. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
24. Friendly Persuasion (1956 film)#Production See the film's wikipage.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Jennings County, Indiana
• USS Jennings County (LST-846)

39°00′N85°38′W / 39.00°N 85.63°W / 39.00; -85.63