Santa Claus, Indiana

Last updated

Santa Claus, Indiana
Town
Santa claus, in.JPG
Town Hall in Santa Claus
Motto: 
America's Christmas Hometown
Spencer County Indiana Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Santa Claus Highlighted 1868022.svg
Location of Santa Claus in Spencer County, Indiana.
Coordinates: 38°07′00″N86°55′46″W / 38.11667°N 86.92944°W / 38.11667; -86.92944
Country United States
State Indiana
County Spencer
Township Carter, Clay, Harrison
Area
[1]
 • Total6.86 sq mi (17.76 km2)
 • Land6.44 sq mi (16.67 km2)
 • Water0.42 sq mi (1.09 km2)
Elevation
[2]
449 ft (137 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total2,586
 • Density401.68/sq mi (155.09/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
47579
Area code 812 & 930
FIPS code 18-68022 [3]
GNIS feature ID2396905 [2]
Website Town of Santa Claus

Santa Claus is a town in Spencer County, Indiana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. Home to numerous Christmas themed attractions including: Santa's Candy Castle, Santa Claus Museum, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari (originally called Santa Claus Land), Frosty's Fun Center, Christmas Lake Golf Course, and Santa's Stables, Santa Claus is located in Carter, Clay and Harrison Townships, it sits between Interstate 64 and the Ohio River and Owensboro. The population was 2,481 at the 2010 census, making it the largest community in Spencer County. The 2020 census counted 2,586 residents. It is also home to Santa's Lodge and Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort. [2]

Contents

The town was established in 1854 and known as Santa Fe ( /fiː/ ). In 1856, when the town was working to establish a post office, the Post Office Department refused their first application as there was already a Santa Fe, Indiana established with the Post Office Department. Several town meetings were held, during which the name Santa Claus was selected.

The town has the world's only post office to bear the name of the eponymous Christmas figure. Because of this popular name, the post office receives thousands of letters to Santa from all over the world each year. A group of volunteers known as Santa's Elves ensures each child receives a reply from Santa Claus; this tradition has been in existence since at least 1914. [4] Every year, the post office also creates a special Christmas hand-cancellation pictorial postmark for use during December, which also attracts mail from all over the world. The pictorial postmark is chosen each year from submissions from art students at nearby Heritage Hills and South Spencer High Schools.

Santa Claus has grown substantially since the 1990 census, which recorded 927 residents. A majority of Santa Claus residents live within the gated community of Christmas Lake Village, which was developed in the late 1960s by Bill Koch. It consists of 2,500 acres (10 km2) developed around three lakes: Christmas Lake, Lake Holly, and Lake Noel. The street names in Christmas Lake Village are all named after the Christmas season. Many residents also live in Holiday Village, a subdivision on the north side of town.

History

The community of Santa Claus was established in 1849. The story of how it received the name of Santa Claus has roots both in fact and legend. In January 1856, the town applied for a post office to be installed. They submitted their application under the name of Santa Fe. The application was returned to them with the message, "Choose some name other than Santa Fe." The process of settling upon the name of Santa Claus has been lost to legend. There are many different versions of the story and there were other choices as well that the town did not settle upon. What is known is that in 1856, the name of Santa Claus was accepted by the Post Office Department. [5]

On June 25, 1895, as part of a nationwide standardization for place names (see United States Board of Geographic Names), the post office name was changed to the one word Santaclaus. The town's unique name went largely unnoticed until the late 1920s, when Postmaster James Martin began promoting the Santa Claus postmark. The name was changed back to Santa Claus on February 17, 1928. It was then that the Post Office Department decided there would never be another Santa Claus Post Office in the United States, due to the influx of holiday mail and the staffing and logistical problems this caused. The growing volume of holiday mail became so substantial that it caught the attention of Robert Ripley in 1929, who featured the town's post office in his nationally syndicated Ripley's Believe It or Not! cartoon strip.

The town's name also inspired Vincennes, Indiana entrepreneur Milt Harris to create Santa's Candy Castle, the first tourist attraction in Santa Claus, Indiana. Dedicated December 22, 1935 and sponsored by the Curtiss Candy Company, the red-brick Candy Castle is purported to be the first themed attraction in the United States. Another Santa Claus Town attraction, Toy Village, features a series of miniature fairytale buildings sponsored by prominent national toy manufacturers. Santa Claus Town led to the creation of the town's first newspaper, The Santa Claus Town News, and the Santa Claus Chamber of Commerce.

Harris' project caught the attention of a rival entrepreneur, Carl Barrett, the Chicago head of the Illinois Auto Club. Disliking what he called Harris' materialism, Barrett planned his own tourist attraction, Santa Claus Park. On December 25, 1935, Barrett dedicated a 22-foot (6.7 m) tall statue of Santa Claus that was erected on the highest hill in town. The statue was promoted as being solid granite, although it was subsequently revealed to be concrete when cracks formed years later.

Since 1936 Santa Clause has been considered the "First Day of Issue" town for the initial release of Christmas seals and has played an important role in promoting them, playing an important role in raising funds to fight tuberculosis Santa Clause, IN 1954, with Christmas Seal.jpg
Since 1936 Santa Clause has been considered the "First Day of Issue" town for the initial release of Christmas seals and has played an important role in promoting them, playing an important role in raising funds to fight tuberculosis

Years of lawsuits between Harris and Barrett were costly distractions for the two entrepreneurs. The lawsuits centered around land ownership and went all the way to the Indiana Supreme Court. National news media covered the ongoing story of "Too Many Santas." Over the years, both entrepreneurs' visions became neglected as the development of the town spread west due to land development by the Koch Family.

On August 3, 1946, retired industrialist Louis J. Koch opened Santa Claus Land, which is claimed to be the world's first theme park. The park's name was changed to Holiday World in 1984. In 1993, it became Holiday World & Splashin' Safari when a water park named Splashin' Safari was added to the park. Still owned and operated by the Koch family, it attracts more than one million visitors annually, and it is home to The Voyage, which has repeatedly been voted by coaster enthusiasts as the number one wooden roller coaster in the world. [7]

More recently the development of Christmas Lake Village as a gated community has more than doubled the population of Santa Claus. In 2005, a local development company purchased Santa's Candy Castle and other buildings that comprised Santa Claus Town and announced plans to restore and re-open them to the public, starting with Santa's Candy Castle on July 1, 2006. The 40-ton, 22-foot concrete Santa Claus statue was restored in 2011. And in 2012, a local historic church and the town's original post office were moved to the site next to the large Santa Claus statue.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Santa Claus has a total area of 6.861 square miles (17.77 km2), of which 6.44 square miles (16.68 km2) (or 93.86%) is land and 0.421 square miles (1.09 km2) (or 6.14%) is water. [8]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1970 63—
1980 514715.9%
1990 92780.4%
2000 2,041120.2%
2010 2,48121.6%
2020 2,5864.2%
U.S. Decennial Census [9]

2010 census

As of the census [10] of 2010, there were 2,481 people, 936 households, and 737 families residing in the town. The population density was 385.2 inhabitants per square mile (148.7/km2). There were 1,044 housing units at an average density of 162.1 per square mile (62.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.1% White, 0.3% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 0.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population.

There were 936 households, of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.1% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 1.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 21.3% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.00.

The median age in the town was 39.8 years. 27.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.9% were from 25 to 44; 28.3% were from 45 to 64; and 15% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

2000 census

As of the census [3] of 2000, there were 2,041 people, 732 households, and 620 families residing in the town. The population density was 393.8 inhabitants per square mile (152.0/km2). There were 818 housing units at an average density of 157.8 per square mile (60.9/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 99.22% White, 0.44% Asian, 0.20% from other races, and 0.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.69% of the population.

There were 732 households, out of which 39.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 79.0% were married couples living together, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.2% were non-families. 12.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.3% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $60,388, and the median income for a family was $61,991. Males had a median income of $44,514 versus $24,050 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,957. About 1.0% of families and 1.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Prior census

As the town was not incorporated until after the 1960 census and that it covers two townships (Carter and Clay); it is not possible to ascertain the population by "piecing together" the census datum of the 1850-1960 census returns. Santa Claus first appeared in the 1970 census, with only 63 residents.

New route for US-231

The Indiana Department of Transportation built a new route for U.S. Route 231, which placed that highway within 3 mi (4.8 km) of Santa Claus. Local officials are touting the new highway as a major tool to draw new economic development. [11] [12]

In keeping with the Christmas theme of the town, Indiana 162, the main highway through town (which connects to the new U.S. 231), is known as Christmas Boulevard.

Notable people

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spencer County, Indiana</span> County in Indiana, United States

Spencer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,810. The county seat is Rockport. Despite not being in the Owensboro Metropolitan Area, the entire riverfront of the city of Owensboro, Kentucky borders the southern tip of the county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Pole, Alaska</span> City in Alaska, United States

North Pole is a small city in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. Incorporated in 1953, it is part of the Fairbanks metropolitan statistical area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 2,243, up from 2,117 in 2010. Despite its name, the city is about 1,700 miles south of Earth's geographic North Pole and 125 miles south of the Arctic Circle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christmas, Florida</span> Census-designated place in Florida, United States

Christmas is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Claus, Georgia</span> City in Georgia, United States

Santa Claus is a city in Toombs County, Georgia, United States. The population was 204 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Vidalia micropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syracuse, Indiana</span> Town in Indiana, United States

Syracuse is a town in Turkey Creek Township, Kosciusko County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 3,079 at the 2020 census. Syracuse is the location of Lake Syracuse and the nearby, larger Lake Wawasee, in addition to several other lakes in the region. The National Weather Service operates a Weather Forecast Office South of town, toward North Webster. It serves Northern Indiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spencer, Indiana</span> Town in Indiana, United States

Spencer is a town in Washington Township, Owen County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 2,217 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Owen County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrisney, Indiana</span> Town in Indiana, United States

Chrisney is a town in Grass Township, Spencer County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 481 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dale, Indiana</span> Town in Indiana, United States

Dale is a town in Carter Township, Spencer County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 1,593 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockport, Indiana</span> City in Indiana, United States

Rockport is a city in Ohio Township and the county seat of Spencer County, Indiana, along the Ohio River. The population was 2,270 at the 2010 census. Once the largest community in Spencer County, the city has recently been surpassed by the town of Santa Claus. At 37°53'1" north, Rockport is also the southernmost city in the state, located slightly south of Evansville, Cannelton, or Mount Vernon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Churubusco, Indiana</span> Town in Whitley County, Indiana

Churubusco ; often shortened to Busco, is a town located near the headwaters of the Eel River in the extreme northeast corner of Whitley County, Indiana, United States, in Smith Township, about 16 miles (26 km) northwest of Fort Wayne. The population was 1,796 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noel, Missouri</span> City in Missouri, United States

Noel is a city in McDonald County, Missouri, United States, along the Elk River. The population was 1,832 at the 2010 census. The county adjoins the border with Northwest Arkansas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valatie, New York</span> Village in New York, United States

Valatie is a village with several waterfalls in Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 1,785 at the 2020 census. The village is at the center of the town of Kinderhook on US 9.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holiday World & Splashin' Safari</span> Amusement park in Indiana

Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, formerly named Santa Claus Land, is a theme park and water park located in Santa Claus, Indiana, United States. The theme park opened in 1946 and features rides, live entertainment, and games that are divided into four sections that celebrate Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the Fourth of July.

Santa's Candy Castle, located in Santa Claus, Indiana, is a tourist attraction that uses the traditions and decorations from Christmas as its theme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa's workshop</span> Legendary workshop in the story of Santa Claus

In Christmas folklore and legends, Santa's Workshop is the workshop where Santa Claus and his elves live and make the toys and presents given out at Christmas. The exact location of Santa's workshop varies depending upon local culture, however it is generally believed to be somewhere around or on the North Pole. There are at least eight claimed locations for his workshop. For example, people in Canada send letters to Santa's Workshop at his North Pole location in Canada, with the unique postal code of "H0H 0H0". People in the United States believe the workshop is a sprawling commune located at the North Pole. Some people in the United Kingdom and Finland believe that Father Christmas' Workshop is located in Finland in Korvatunturi, Lapland. In addition to housing the factory where toys are either manufactured or distributed by the elves, the complex also houses the residence of Santa, his wife, companions, and all of the reindeer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indiana State Road 162</span> State highway in Indiana, United States

State Road 162 in the U.S. state of Indiana is a 28-mile (45 km) route in Dubois and Spencer counties. Though an even-numbered route, in practice it is a north–south route for most of its length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indiana State Road 245</span> State highway in Indiana, United States

State Road 245 in the U.S. state of Indiana is a two-lane north–south highway in that runs entirely within Spencer County in the southwest corner of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richland City, Indiana</span> Town in Indiana, United States

Richland City is a town in Luce Township, Spencer County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. Until 2008, it was an unincorporated community; the town's residents voted to incorporate in the November 2008 general election. The population was 425 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Barrington, Illinois</span> Village in Illinois, United States

Port Barrington is a village in Lake and McHenry counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It was formerly known as Fox River Valley Gardens, but the name was changed in 2002 to Port Barrington. Per the 2020 census, the population was 1,584.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Claus Museum and Village</span> Tourist attraction in Santa Claus, Indiana

Santa Claus Museum & Village is an attraction being developed near the community of Santa Claus, Indiana. In 2005, a local development company purchased Santa's Candy Castle and other buildings that comprised Santa Claus Town and announced plans to restore and re-open them to the public. Santa's Candy Castle was the first building of the original Santa Claus Town to be re-opened to the public, when its doors opened on July 1, 2006. The 40-ton, 22-foot concrete Santa Claus statue was restored in 2011. In 2012, a local historic church and the town's original post office were moved to the site next to the large Santa Claus statue.

References

  1. ↑ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Santa Claus, Indiana
  3. 1 2 "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ↑ Wissing, Douglas (March 1, 2001). Indiana. Globe Pequot. p. 22. ISBN   9781560449065 . Retrieved October 16, 2013.[ permanent dead link ]
  5. ↑ "Spencer County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
  6. ↑ Denune, John Jr., ed. (2014). The Christmas Seal Catalog (PDF). The Christmas Seal and Charity Stamp Society. p. II. The Christmas Seal Catalog is a simplified version of Green's Catalog of TB Seals of the World, part 1, U.S. National Christmas Seals
  7. ↑ Fountain, Henry (July 2, 2012). "Wood Takes a Thrilling Turn". The New York Times. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  8. ↑ "G001 – Geographic Identifiers – 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  10. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved December 11, 2012.
  11. ↑ Cassidy, Stuart (November 11, 2010). "New highway has Santa Claus preparing for expansion". Spencer County Journal-Democrat. Rockport, Indiana – via NewsBank.
  12. ↑ "Holiday Worlds patriarch leaves a legacy". HoliBlog. Holiday World & Splashin' Safari. September 17, 2001.
  13. ↑ Jay Cutler Stats. Pro-Football-Reference. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  14. ↑ Arad McCutchan (Former Head Coach) - Coaches Database. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  15. ↑ Nunemaker, Jessica (2016). "87: Santa Claus". Little Indiana: Small Town Destinations. Indiana University Press. ISBN   9780253020703 . Retrieved May 30, 2020. Radio Shack featured Santa Claus in a 2008 commercial
  16. ↑ "The Claus that refreshes" Archived May 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine , Holiday World, 2010.
  17. ↑ "The World's Top Christmas Destinations", Forbes , December 5, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Snowed-Inn Christmas", IMDb , November 27, 2019.
  19. ↑ Sams, Travis (December 19, 2017). "Santa Claus Indiana Featured In New Lifetime Movie". wkdq.com. Townsquare Media: WKDQ-FM. Archived from the original on January 26, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  20. ↑ "Find Good Cheer in Abundance in HGTV's 2020 Holiday Lineup".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.