Peru, Indiana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| City of Peru | |
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| — City — | |
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| Nickname(s): Circus Capital of the World | |
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| Coordinates: 40°45′28″N 86°4′4″W / 40.75778°N 86.06778°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | Miami |
| Founded | 1834 |
| Founder | William N. Hood |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Jim R. Walker (R) |
| Area | |
| - Total | 4.7 sq mi (12.1 km2) |
| - Land | 4.6 sq mi (12.0 km2) |
| - Water | 0.04 sq mi (0.1 km2) 0.86% |
| Elevation | 650 ft (198 m) |
| Population (2006) | |
| - Total | 12,719 |
| - Density | 2,815.5/sq mi (1,085.9/km2) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 46970-46971 |
| Area code(s) | 765 |
| FIPS code | 18-59328[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0441047[2] |
| Website | http://www.cityofperu.org/ |
Peru is a city in Miami County, Indiana, United States. The population was 12,994 at the 2000 census and is the biggest city in Miami County. The city is the county seat of Miami County[3].
Some pronounce the name of the town /ˈpɪəruː/ PEER-oo; others like the name of the South American nation of Peru.
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[edit] History
Peru was founded in 1834 by William N. Hood.[4] Early in the 20th Century, like many other American cities, it was home to a pioneering automobile maker, Model Automobile Company;[5] like most others, Model did not survive.
[edit] Geography
Peru is located at 40°45′28″N 86°4′4″W / 40.75778°N 86.06778°W (40.757690, -86.067791)[6].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.7 square miles (12.1 km²), of which, 4.6 square miles (12.0 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.86%) is water. Peru is the largest town or city in Miami County.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 12,994 people, 5,410 households, and 3,397 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,815.5 people per square mile (1,085.9/km²). There were 5,943 housing units at an average density of 1,287.7/sq mi (496.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.71% White, 2.95% African American, 1.52% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.32% of the population.
There were 5,410 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,668, and the median income for a family was $39,440. Males had a median income of $31,631 versus $20,440 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,497. About 9.5% of families and 11.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Notable Residents
- Cole Porter, songwriter; Porter was born in Peru, and buried at Mt. Hope Cemetery
- Kyle Macy, former NBA player, former Morehead State University head coach; Macy was raised in Peru and graduated from Peru High School
- Ole Olsen, comedian
- Carol Lou Woodward, pianist
[edit] Other facts
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Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (August 2008) |
- Peru is the home of the world's only remaining manufacturer of steam calliopes.
- The asteroid 32570 Peruindiana, discovered August 21, 2001, is named for Peru.
- Peru was the winter headquarters for several famous circuses, including Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey, Wallace and others. (Peru shared the notoriety of winter headquarters for some of these circuses with Baraboo, Wisconsin.) The International Circus Hall of Fame is located in Peru, Indiana. Annually during the third weekend of July, the Peru Amateur Circus holds performances for the whole week, ending with a Circus City Festival and Parade. All of the performers are amateurs, ranging in age from 7 to 21 years.
- Peru is the site of the tribal headquarters of the Miami Nation.
- Several people who worked with Groucho Marx during his film career recall that, during script conferences, he made frequent references to "the barber in Peru (Indiana)". This was his term for a "typical" member of the Marx Brothers' movie audience. If Groucho deemed a joke to be too intellectual or too esoteric for "the barber in Peru", he would insist that it be removed from the script.
- The movie "The Little Big Top"(2008) was filmed entirely in Peru.
[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.
- ^ Stephens, John H. (1896). "Peru". History of Miami County. Peru, Indiana: The John H. Stephens Publishing House.
- ^ Clymer, Floyd. Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877-1925 (New York: Bonanza Books, 1950), p.57.
- ^ "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
- Peru, Indiana is at coordinates 40°45′28″N 86°04′04″W / 40.75769°N 86.067791°WCoordinates: 40°45′28″N 86°04′04″W / 40.75769°N 86.067791°W
- City of Peru, Indiana website
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