Wells County, Indiana

Wells County
County
Wells County Courthouse in Bluffton
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
Indiana's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 40°44′N85°13′W / 40.73°N 85.22°W / 40.73; -85.22
Country	United States
State	Indiana
Founded	1837
Named for	William A. Wells
Seat	Bluffton
Largest city	Bluffton
Area
• Total	370.25 sq mi (958.9 km2)
• Land	368.09 sq mi (953.3 km2)
• Water	2.16 sq mi (5.6 km2)  0.58%
Population  (2020)
• Total	28,180
• Density	76/sq mi (29/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	3rd
Website	www.wellscounty.org
Indiana county number 90

Wells County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 28,180. ^[1] The county seat is Bluffton. ^[2]

Wells County is included in the Fort Wayne Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Fort Wayne—Huntington—Auburn Combined Statistical Area.

History

The Territory of Indiana was established in 1800 as legitimized by the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. The governing structure established through this act began creating counties in the territory as it became increasingly populated. In December 1816, the State of Indiana was admitted to the Union. Wells was named after famous frontiersmen William A. Wells who played a central role in the Northwest Indian Wars and the activity surrounding Fort Miami and Kekionga. ^[3] It was initially assigned to Allen County for legislative and administrative affairs.^{[ citation needed ]}

In the winter of 1835, Col. John Vowter of Jennings County, Chairman of the Committee on New Counties, introduced a bill proposing that the assembly "lay out all the unorganized territory to which the Indian title had been extinguished in the state into a suitable number of counties". This bill would be approved later that year on February 7, effectively creating thirteen Northern Indiana counties, one of which was Wells. ^[4]

On February 2, 1837, an act was passed by the state, authorizing Wells County to be organized independent of Allen County, and specifying May 1 for the date of the first meeting. However, that meeting did not take place, and so an act dated January 20, 1838, authorized the meeting of appointed commissioners to decide on a county seat. That vote was completed on March 5, 1838, selecting Bluffton. ^[5]

Geography

The low rolling hills of Wells County have been deforested and are now completely devoted to agriculture and urban development. The Wabash River flows to the northwest, draining the central and upper part of the county, while the lower part is drained by the Salamonie River, also flowing to the northwest. ^[6] The highest point on the terrain (935 feet/285 meters ASL) is an isolated rise on the county's south borderline with Jay County, one-half mile (0.8 km) east of the NE corner of Blackford County. ^[7]

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 370.25 square miles (958.9 km²), of which 368.09 square miles (953.3 km²) (or 99.42%) is land and 2.16 square miles (5.6 km²) (or 0.58%) is water. ^[8]

Adjacent counties

• Allen County - north
• Adams County - east
• Jay County - southeast
• Blackford County - south
• Grant County - west
• Huntington County - northwest

City and towns

• Bluffton (city/county seat)
• Markle (town; partly in Huntington County)
• Ossian (town)
• Poneto (town - named Worthington from 1871 to 1881)
• Uniondale (town)
• Vera Cruz (town)
• Zanesville (town; partly in Allen County)

Unincorporated communities

• Craigville
• Curryville
• Dillman
• Domestic
• Five Points
• Greenville
• Greenwood
• Jeff
• Keystone
• Kingsland
• Liberty Center
• McNatts
• Mount Zion
• Murray
• North Oaks
• Nottingham
• Petroleum
• Phenix
• Reiffsburg
• Riverside
• Rockford
• Tocsin
• Toll Gate Heights
• Travisville
• Wellsburg

Townships

• Chester
• Harrison
• Jackson
• Jefferson
• Lancaster
• Liberty
• Nottingham
• Rockcreek
• Union

Major highways

• Interstate 69
• U.S. Route 224
• State Road 1
• State Road 3
• State Road 116
• State Road 124
• State Road 201
• State Road 218
• State Road 301

Climate and weather

Bluffton, Indiana
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     2     30 16     1.8     34 19     2.6     46 29     3.2     58 40     4.1     70 51     3.9     80 61     3.9     84 64     3.7     81 62     3.1     75 55     2.5     63 42     3     48 33     2.7     35 23 █ 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     −1 −9     46     1 −7     66     8 −2     82     14 4     104     21 11     100     27 16     99     29 18     94     27 17     78     24 13     64     17 6     77     9 1     67     2 −5 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in Bluffton have ranged from a low of 16 °F (−9 °C) in January to a high of 84 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −24 °F (−31 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 104 °F (40 °C) was recorded in July 1980. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.83 inches (46 mm) in February to 4.11 inches (104 mm) in May. ^[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 county-wide to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute 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. 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. The 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]

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

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	10,855	77.10%	2,928	20.80%	297	2.11%
2016	10,005	75.30%	2,586	19.46%	695	5.23%
2012	9,256	71.46%	3,436	26.53%	260	2.01%
2008	8,504	64.98%	4,403	33.64%	181	1.38%
2004	9,168	74.21%	3,112	25.19%	74	0.60%
2000	7,755	68.74%	3,319	29.42%	207	1.83%
1996	6,322	55.98%	3,752	33.22%	1,220	10.80%
1992	5,799	48.17%	3,282	27.26%	2,958	24.57%
1988	7,712	68.93%	3,437	30.72%	39	0.35%
1984	7,579	69.40%	3,274	29.98%	67	0.61%
1980	5,864	56.14%	3,760	36.00%	821	7.86%
1976	5,596	56.33%	4,250	42.78%	88	0.89%
1972	6,425	65.77%	3,244	33.21%	100	1.02%
1968	5,361	53.07%	3,827	37.89%	913	9.04%
1964	4,018	39.96%	5,945	59.12%	92	0.91%
1960	6,034	58.91%	4,128	40.30%	80	0.78%
1956	5,703	58.32%	3,984	40.74%	91	0.93%
1952	5,380	55.85%	3,963	41.14%	290	3.01%
1948	4,288	47.15%	4,726	51.97%	80	0.88%
1944	4,708	50.03%	4,475	47.56%	227	2.41%
1940	4,898	47.75%	5,236	51.05%	123	1.20%
1936	3,606	36.59%	6,189	62.81%	59	0.60%
1932	3,073	32.25%	6,236	65.45%	219	2.30%
1928	4,142	48.93%	4,246	50.16%	77	0.91%
1924	3,932	44.92%	4,537	51.83%	285	3.26%
1920	4,430	47.61%	4,653	50.01%	222	2.39%
1916	1,947	37.26%	2,928	56.03%	351	6.72%
1912	812	15.95%	2,760	54.20%	1,520	29.85%
1908	2,185	35.92%	3,345	54.99%	553	9.09%
1904	2,565	40.74%	3,127	49.67%	604	9.59%
1900	2,290	37.50%	3,599	58.94%	217	3.55%
1896	2,212	36.63%	3,728	61.74%	98	1.62%
1892	1,668	33.90%	2,725	55.37%	528	10.73%
1888	1,926	37.17%	2,942	56.77%	314	6.06%

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1840	1,822		—
1850	6,152		237.7%
1860	10,844		76.3%
1870	13,585		25.3%
1880	18,442		35.8%
1890	21,514		16.7%
1900	23,449		9.0%
1910	22,418		−4.4%
1920	20,509		−8.5%
1930	18,411		−10.2%
1940	19,099		3.7%
1950	19,564		2.4%
1960	21,220		8.5%
1970	23,821		12.3%
1980	25,401		6.6%
1990	25,948		2.2%
2000	27,600		6.4%
2010	27,636		0.1%
2020	28,180		2.0%
2023 (est.)	28,555	[13]	1.3%
US Decennial Census [14] 1790-1960 [15] 1900-1990 [16] 1990-2000 [17] 2010-2013 [18] 2018 [19] [18] 2020 [1]

2010 Census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 27,636 people, 10,780 households, and 7,684 families in the county. ^[20] The population density was 75.1 inhabitants per square mile (29.0/km²). There were 11,659 housing units at an average density of 31.7 per square mile (12.2/km²). ^[8] The racial makeup of the county was 97.3% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.8% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.0% of the population. ^[20] In terms of ancestry, 38.4% were German, 12.3% were English, 10.8% were Irish, and 10.3% were American. ^[21] Of the 10,780 households, 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.7% were non-families, and 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age was 40.2 years. ^[20]

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $56,885. Males had a median income of $41,871 versus $30,031 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,169. About 6.2% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over. ^[22]

Education

School districts include: Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District, Northern Wells Community Schools, and Southern Wells Community Schools. ^[23]

See also

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

External links

• William Wells

References

1. 2020 Population and Housing State Data | Indiana
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Captain William A. Wells was captured by Native Americans as a young boy and adopted by the Miami chief Little Turtle. He eventually became a scout for Gen. "Mad Anthony" Wayne. Capt. Wells was killed by Potawatomi allied with the British at the Battle of Fort Dearborn at the outbreak of the War of 1812.
4. Tyndall, John W. (John Wilson); Lesh, O. E. (Orlo Ervin) (1918). Standard history of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana : An authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and country. Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center. Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co.
5. Tyndall, John W; Lesh, O E (1918). Standard History of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co. pp. 304–6.
6. Wells County IN (Google Maps, accessed 6 August 2020)
7. Wells County High Point, Indiana (PeakBagger.com, accessed 6 August 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 Bluffton 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. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States 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). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
18. "Wells County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
19. "QuickFacts. Wells County IN". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
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. "American FactFinder - Results". factfinder.census.gov. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
23. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Wells County, IN" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 23, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022. - Text list

40°44′N85°13′W / 40.73°N 85.22°W / 40.73; -85.22