Whitley County, Indiana

Whitley County
County
Whitley County courthouse in Columbia City
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
Indiana's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 41°08′N85°30′W / 41.14°N 85.5°W / 41.14; -85.5
Country	United States
State	Indiana
Founded	7 February 1835 (authorized) 1838 (organized)
Named for	William Whitley
Seat	Columbia City
Largest city	Columbia City
Area
• Total	337.91 sq mi (875.2 km2)
• Land	335.57 sq mi (869.1 km2)
• Water	2.34 sq mi (6.1 km2)  0.69%
Population  (2020)
• Total	34,191
• Density	101.6/sq mi (39.2/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	3rd
Website	whitleygov.com
Indiana county number 92 Last alphabetical county in Indiana.

Whitley County is a rural county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 36,825. ^[1] Whitley County is the 49th largest county in Indiana. The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Columbia City. ^[2] The county has the highest county number (92) on Indiana license plates, as it is alphabetically the last in the state's list of counties. It is part of the Fort Wayne Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Fort Wayne–Huntington–Auburn Combined Statistical Area.

History

Indiana was granted statehood near the end of 1816. On 7 February 1835, the state legislature approved an omnibus bill ^[3] that authorized the creation of thirteen counties, ^[4] including Whitley. It was named for Col. William Whitley, who was killed in the Battle of the Thames in the War of 1812. ^[5]

The first non-Native American settlers arrived in the area during that year, as a result of the end of the Black Hawk War and completion of the Erie Canal. They were from New England - "Yankee" settlers, descendents of the English Puritans who settled New England in the colonial era. They 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 Indiana. Whitley County government was organized in 1838.

In the late 1870s immigrants began arriving from Germany and Ireland. ^[5]

Geography

Prior to white settlement, Whitley County's low rolling hills were densely forested, and dotted with lakes across its northern portion. At present, the available land is mostly deforested, and is entirely devoted to agriculture or to urban development. ^[6] Its highest point (approx. 1,000 ft; 300 m ASL) is a small rise NE of Cedar Lake. ^[7] The Eel River flows southwestward through the lower part of the county, and the Blue River flows southwestward through the upper part. ^[6]

According to the 2010 United States Census, the county has a total area of 337.91 square miles (875.2 km²), of which 335.57 square miles (869.1 km²) (or 99.31%) is land and 2.34 square miles (6.1 km²) (or 0.69%) is water. ^[8]

Adjacent counties

• Noble County - north
• Allen County - east
• Huntington County - south
• Wabash County - southwest
• Kosciusko County - west

City and towns

• Columbia City (city/county seat)
• Churubusco
• Larwill
• South Whitley

Census-designated place

• Tri-Lakes

Unincorporated places

• Blue Lake
• Briggs
• Coesse
• Coesse Corners
• Collamer
• Collins
• Cresco
• Dunfee
• Etna
• Five Points
• Laud
• Lorane
• Luther
• Peabody
• Raber
• Saturn
• Tunker
• Washington Center

Townships

• Cleveland
• Columbia
• Etna-Troy
• Jefferson
• Richland
• Smith
• Thorncreek
• Union
• Washington

Lakes

• Blue Lake
• Brown Lake
• Cedar Lake
• Crooked Lake (part)
• Dollar Lake
• Goose Lake
• Indian Lake
• Little Cedar Lake
• Loon Lake (part)
• Mud Lake
• New Lake
• Old Lake
• Rine Lake
• Robinson Lake (part)
• Round Lake
• Scott Lake
• Shriner Lake
• Tadpole Lake
• Troy Cedar Lake
• Winters Lake ^[6]

Protected areas

• Deniston Resource Area
• Goose Lake Wetland Conservation Area
• Pisgah Marsh Nongame Area (part) ^[6]

Major highways

• U.S. Route 24
• U.S. Route 30
• U.S. Route 33
• Indiana State Road 5
• Indiana State Road 9
• Indiana State Road 14
• Indiana State Road 105
• Indiana State Road 109
• Indiana State Road 114
• Indiana State Road 205

Climate and weather

Columbia City, Indiana
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     2.1     31 14     1.8     35 18     2.9     46 27     3.7     58 37     3.7     70 48     4.4     79 58     3.8     83 62     3.6     81 59     3.5     74 51     2.8     62 40     3.3     48 31     2.9     36 21 █ 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     54     −1 −10     46     2 −8     74     8 −3     93     14 3     94     21 9     113     26 14     97     28 17     91     27 15     89     23 11     71     17 4     84     9 −1     73     2 −6 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in Columbia City have ranged from a low of 14 °F (−10 °C) in January to a high of 83 °F (28 °C) in July, although a record low of −24 °F (−31 °C) was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 103 °F (39 °C) was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.80 inches (46 mm) in February to 4.44 inches (113 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 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. ^{[10] [11]}

Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county; commissioners are elected to four-year staggered terms in county-wide elections. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute the acts legislated by the council, collect revenue, and manage 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. 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 officers elected to four-year terms, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county. ^[11]

Whitely County is part of Indiana's 3rd congressional district and as of 2020 is represented by Republican James Edward Banks in the United States Congress.

United States presidential election results for Whitley County, Indiana ^[12]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	12,862	73.13%	4,234	24.07%	492	2.80%
2016	11,358	72.07%	3,379	21.44%	1,022	6.49%
2012	10,258	68.24%	4,420	29.40%	354	2.35%
2008	9,124	59.99%	5,862	38.55%	222	1.46%
2004	9,512	70.56%	3,880	28.78%	89	0.66%
2000	8,080	64.99%	4,107	33.04%	245	1.97%
1996	5,965	51.31%	4,176	35.92%	1,484	12.77%
1992	5,217	43.27%	3,569	29.60%	3,270	27.12%
1988	7,679	67.44%	3,642	31.99%	65	0.57%
1984	7,763	67.21%	3,690	31.95%	98	0.85%
1980	7,146	55.74%	4,497	35.08%	1,178	9.19%
1976	6,761	54.34%	5,445	43.77%	235	1.89%
1972	7,489	65.67%	3,838	33.65%	77	0.68%
1968	5,684	53.27%	3,848	36.06%	1,139	10.67%
1964	4,896	45.56%	5,798	53.95%	53	0.49%
1960	6,621	60.50%	4,266	38.98%	56	0.51%
1956	6,422	63.23%	3,688	36.31%	47	0.46%
1952	5,893	60.28%	3,755	38.41%	128	1.31%
1948	4,715	51.88%	4,240	46.65%	134	1.47%
1944	5,268	55.88%	4,079	43.27%	80	0.85%
1940	5,100	53.34%	4,404	46.06%	57	0.60%
1936	3,959	43.27%	5,115	55.90%	76	0.83%
1932	3,471	39.21%	5,058	57.13%	324	3.66%
1928	4,519	57.43%	3,294	41.86%	56	0.71%
1924	4,420	54.84%	3,484	43.23%	156	1.94%
1920	4,530	52.50%	3,929	45.53%	170	1.97%
1916	2,191	44.69%	2,510	51.19%	202	4.12%
1912	1,082	24.01%	2,206	48.96%	1,218	27.03%
1908	2,302	46.57%	2,493	50.43%	148	2.99%
1904	2,359	48.99%	2,281	47.37%	175	3.63%
1900	2,271	47.77%	2,361	49.66%	122	2.57%
1896	2,242	46.85%	2,494	52.12%	49	1.02%
1892	1,958	44.55%	2,234	50.83%	203	4.62%
1888	2,133	46.18%	2,325	50.34%	161	3.49%

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1840	1,237		—
1850	5,190		319.6%
1860	10,730		106.7%
1870	14,399		34.2%
1880	16,941		17.7%
1890	17,768		4.9%
1900	17,328		−2.5%
1910	16,892		−2.5%
1920	15,660		−7.3%
1930	15,931		1.7%
1940	17,001		6.7%
1950	18,828		10.7%
1960	20,954		11.3%
1970	23,395		11.6%
1980	26,215		12.1%
1990	27,651		5.5%
2000	30,707		11.1%
2010	33,292		8.4%
2020	34,191		2.7%
2023 (est.)	34,742	[13]	1.6%
US Decennial Census [14] 1790-1960 [15] 1900-1990 [16] 1990-2000 [17] 2010-2013 [18] 2017 [19]

2010 Census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 33,292 people, 13,001 households, and 9,228 families in the county. ^[20] The population density was 99.2 inhabitants per square mile (38.3/km²). There were 14,281 housing units at an average density of 42.6 per square mile (16.4/km²). ^[8] The racial makeup of the county was 97.6% white, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.4% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.5% of the population. ^[20] In terms of ancestry, 38.2% were German, 12.6% were Irish, 12.5% were American, and 9.3% were English. ^[21]

Of the 13,001 households, 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.0% were non-families, and 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.99. The median age was 40.1 years. ^[20]

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $63,487. Males had a median income of $44,883 versus $30,724 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,644. About 5.1% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over. ^[22]

See also

• Indiana portal

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

References

1. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/whitleycountyindiana/PST045219 ^{[ dead link ]}
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. John W Tyndall & OE Lesh, Standard history of Adams and Wells Counties, Indiana. pp. 284-6 (accessed 9 August 2020)
4. The counties are DeKalb, Fulton, Jasper, Jay, Kosciusko, Marshall, Newton, Porter, Pulaski, Stark, Steuben, Wells, and Whitley. Newton was dissolved in 1839 and its territory was attached to Jasper; it was re-created in 1859.
5. De Witt Clinton Goodrich & Charles Richard Tuttle (1875). An Illustrated History of the State of Indiana. Indiana: R. S. Peale & co. p. 577.
6. Whitley County IN (Google Maps, accessed 31 July 2020)
7. Whitley County High Point, Indiana (PeakBagger.com, accessed 31 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 Columbia City 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. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 27, 2004. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
12. Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
13. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
14. "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
15. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
16. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
17. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
18. "Whitley County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
19. "QuickFacts. Whitley County, Indiana". US Census Bureau. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
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

• Whitley County Government Website
• Whitley County Online Scanner
• Whitley County ARC Inc

41°08′N85°30′W / 41.14°N 85.50°W / 41.14; -85.50