Highland, Lake County, Indiana
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2009) |
| Town of Highland, Indiana | |
|---|---|
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| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | Lake |
| Government | |
| - Town Council President | Bernie Zemen |
| Area | |
| - Total | 6.9 sq mi (17.8 km2) |
| - Land | 6.9 sq mi (17.8 km2) |
| - Water | 0 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 23,546 |
| - Density | 3,427.3/sq mi (1,323.3/km2) |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Website | www.highland.in.gov |
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 304 |
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| 1920 | 542 | 78.3% | |
| 1930 | 1,553 | 186.5% | |
| 1940 | 2,723 | 75.3% | |
| 1950 | 5,878 | 115.9% | |
| 1960 | 16,284 | 177.0% | |
| 1970 | 24,947 | 53.2% | |
| 1980 | 25,935 | 4.0% | |
| 1990 | 23,696 | −8.6% | |
| 2000 | 23,546 | −0.6% | |
| Source: US Census Bureau | |||
Highland is a town in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 23,546 at the 2000 census. The town was incorporated on April 4, 1910. It is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and North Township, and is surrounded by Hammond to the north, Munster to the west, Schererville to the south, and Griffith to the east.
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[edit] History
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This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2009) |
In 1847, two pioneers, Michael and Judith Johnston, became Highland's first settlers (Judith Johnston Elementary School is named in her honor).
The town slowly expanded until 1880, when the arriving railroad brought Dutch settlers. 304 people resided in Highland when it was incorporated in 1910.
In 1927, President Calvin Coolidge visited and delivered the dedication address for Wicker Memorial Park, located on the west side of the town.
Highland, as with other towns along the Little Calumet River, has historically been subject to flooding,[1][2] particularly in spring, and particularly in areas away from Ridge Road, which runs along the highest land in the town. More recently the town has been subjected to flooding in 2008, 2007, and particularly in September, 2006.
On October 31, 2008, Barack Obama, who four days later would be elected the 44th President of the United States, stopped in Highland for a rally that drew 40,000 people to Wicker Park. It was the largest crowd there since President Calvin Coolidge Dedicated the park in 1927.
[edit] Cityscape
[edit] Architecture
Highland's Downtown area features a number of buildings exhibiting Mid-Century Modern style architecture.[citation needed]
[edit] Neighborhoods
Highland has several neighborhoods/subdivisions. They include: Homestead, Wicker Park Manor, Wicker Park Estates, Brantwood, Meadows, White Oak Estates (of Highland), Lakeside, Ellendale, Hook's, Arbor Hill, Pettit Park, Golfmoor, Wicker Highlands and Southridge.[citation needed]
[edit] Geography
Highland is located at 41°32′59″N 87°27′29″W / 41.54972°N 87.45806°W (41.549851, -87.458064)[3].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.9 square miles (17.8 km²), of which, 6.9 square miles (17.8 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.29%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 23,546 people, 9,636 households, and 6,677 families residing in the town. The population density was 3,428.3 people per square mile (1,323.3/km²). There were 9,925 housing units at an average density of 1,445.1/sq mi (557.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.45% White, 1.26% African American, 0.15% Native American, 1.10% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.80% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.61% of the population.
Ancestries: German (22.5%), Polish (17.6%), Irish (14.9%), English (9.2%), Dutch (6.8%), Italian (6.4%).
There were 9,636 households out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $51,297, and the median income for a family was $59,106. Males had a median income of $46,217 versus $28,635 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,530. About 1.8% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Transportation
The commercial airport closest to Highland is the Gary/Chicago International Airport in Gary, but most Highland residents and visitors travel from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport or Chicago Midway International Airport.
Highland lies just south of the Borman Expressway. U.S. Route 41, known locally as Indianapolis Boulevard, is a major North-South artery in the town. Due to Highland's proximity to Chicago, several other Interstate and U.S. highways are within a 20-mile (32 km) radius.
The town's pedestrians and cyclists are also served by the Erie-Lackawanna Trail, a cycling/multiuse, paved rail trail, which cuts diagonally through Highland, connecting the town with Griffith, and Crown Point, to the southeast. The Highland portion of the trail is also known locally as the Crosstown Trail. The trail runs along the former right-of-way of the Erie-Lackawanna and Baltimore and Ohio Railroads, and will eventually connect pedestrians to Chicago, Illinois, to the northwest and beyond Crown Point to the southeast by planned trail extensions. The trail also links Highland, by connections with other trails, with Porter County, Indiana, to the east.[5]
[edit] Education
School Town of Highland, the town's public school system, operates one high school, one middle school, and four elementary schools (formerly seven): Johnston (north side), Southridge (central), Warren (south), and Merkley (central). Their two private schools are Highland Christian and Our Lady of Grace (OLG). The area where one of the now-defunct schools (Main school) once stood is marked by a gazebo, which was demolished in October 2006, and rebuilt in 2007. It and the surrounding land is named Main Square Park, after Main Elementary, which stood on the site until the early 1980s. One of the other defunct schools, Lincoln Elementary, was converted into a community center in the early 1980s. The other, Orchard Park Elementary, became a Calumet Baptist School in the early 1990s.
Highland High School and Highland Middle School are located in the same building, at 9135 Erie Street. Highland High School was established in 1960. At the time the school was established, there were about 280 students graduating in each class. The Northwest Indiana Education Service Center is currently housed in part of Highland Middle School.
[edit] Public libraries
Lake County Public Library operates the Highland Branch at 2841 Jewett Street.[6]
[edit] Police Department - Fallen Officers
In the history of the Highland Police Department, two officers have been killed in the line of duty.[7]
| Officer | Date of death | Age | Tenure | Cause of death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Officer Donald R. Sheppard | November 12, 1971 | 34 | 5 years | Gunfire |
| Officer Robert J. Markley | March 10, 1978 | 26 | 4 years | Vehicular assault |
[edit] Notable residents
Debra A. Kemp - Author
Dan McNeil - Sports Radio Talk Show Host
[edit] References
- ^ Little Calumet Flood Control project reaches halfway mark. / nwi.com
- ^ Little Cal's history flows through area / nwi.com
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Erie Lackawanna Trail
- ^ "Locations and Hours." Lake County Public Library. Retrieved on January 21, 2009.
- ^ Highland Police Department Fallen Officers
[edit] External links
- Town of Highland, Indiana website
- http://www.highlandpolice.com/
- http://www.highlandfd.com/
- http://www.downtownhighland.com
- http://highland.k12.in.us
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