Paoli, Indiana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Paoli, Indiana | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
 |
|
 |
|
| Coordinates: 38°33′28″N 86°28′9″W / 38.55778°N 86.46917°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | Orange |
| Township | Paoli |
| Area | |
| - Total | 3.8 sq mi (9.8 km2) |
| - Land | 3.8 sq mi (9.8 km2) |
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 623 ft (190 m) |
| Population (2006) | |
| - Total | 3,933 |
| - Density | 1,016.0/sq mi (392.3/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 47454 |
| Area code(s) | 812 |
| FIPS code | 18-57780[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0451312[2] |
Paoli is a town in Paoli Township, Orange County, Indiana, United States. The population was 3,844 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Orange County[3].
Contents |
[edit] History
The town of Paoli purchased part of the land for the county seat from Jonathan Lindley (see The Lindley House) for $800 and part from Thomas Hopper for $500. Mrs. Rebecca Hopper, who probably opposed selling the land, is said to have submitted gracefully to the signing of the deed after she was paid $5.
Paoli was given its name just as Indiana became a state. It was derived from Pasquale Paoli Ash, the 12-year-old son of North Carolina’s governor at the time, and shortly thereafter chosen as the seat of justice for the county. This name also refers to Pasquale Paoli, political leader of the island of Corsica, the first democratic republic of the modern age, in the 18th century.
During the Civil War, Paoli was briefly entered by a Confederate scouting party under the command of Captain Thomas Hines. Hines' men briefly captured some Home Guards in Paoli, and then quickly left.
Orange County was formed from parts of Knox, Gibson and Washington Counties in 1816. The County Seat is at Paoli.
The early settlers were mostly Quakers fleeing the institution of slavery in Orange County, North Carolina. Jonathan Lindley brought his group of Quakers from North Carolina to the area in 1811. Under Lindley’s leadership, they were the first to build a religious structure, the Lick Creek Meeting House in 1813. It was from this group that Orange County got its name.
(See List of Indiana county name etymologies. The name Orange derives from the Dutch Protestant House of Orange, which acquired the English throne with the accession of King William III in 1689, following the Glorious Revolution.
In the early 1800s when the Quakers came from North Carolina to settle in Orange County, Indiana, they came to escape slavery. They brought with them a number of freed slaves. These free men were deeded 200 acres of land in the heart of a dense forest. Word of mouth soon spread the news, and this land became part of the "underground railroad" for runaway slaves.
For many years, the freed slaves in this area farmed, traded, and sold their labor to others while living in this settlement. A church was built and a cemetery was provided for their loved ones.
All that remains today is the cemetery. Some of the stones were broken or vandalized over the years. Several years ago, a troop of Boy Scouts came in and restored the cemetery, replacing the lost or broken stones with wooden crosses designating a grave. The name of "Little Africa" came about because of the black settlement, but "Paddy's Garden" was the name those early residents called it.
[edit] Geography
Paoli is located at 38°33′28″N 86°28′9″W / 38.55778°N 86.46917°W (38.557681, -86.469209)[4].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²), all of it land.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 3,844 people, 1,581 households, and 1,013 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,016.0 people per square mile (392.6/km²). There were 1,725 housing units at an average density of 455.9/sq mi (176.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.34% White, 0.21% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.18% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.70% of the population.
There were 1,581 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $26,962, and the median income for a family was $34,412. Males had a median income of $28,566 versus $20,110 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,313. About 12.8% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Tourism and recreation
Paoli Peaks is a local ski resort. Operated solely during the winter months, Paoli Peaks provides temporary local jobs to the town as well as bringing in numerous visitors from various areas to come ski on its slopes. Randy Raptor is one of the well known skiiers to frequent the area.
[edit] References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "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.
[edit] External links
- Paoli, Indiana is at coordinates 38°33′28″N 86°28′09″W / 38.557681°N 86.469209°WCoordinates: 38°33′28″N 86°28′09″W / 38.557681°N 86.469209°W
- Paoli information
- Paoli News Online Edition
|
|||||||||||||||||
