Wayne County, Indiana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Wayne County, Indiana | |
 Location in the state of Indiana |
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 Indiana's location in the U.S. |
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| Seat | Richmond |
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| Area - Total - Land - Water |
404 sq mi (1,047 km²) 403 sq mi (1,045 km²) 1 sq mi (2 km²), 0.19% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
71,097 176/sq mi (68/km²) |
| Founded | 1811 |
| Named for | Anthony Wayne |
| Congressional district | 6th |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Website | co.wayne.in.us |
Wayne County (County Number 89) is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2000, the population was 71,097. The county seat is Richmond[1].
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[edit] History
Wayne County was formed in 1811. It was named for Gen. "Mad" Anthony Wayne, who was an officer during the Revolutionary War. Wayne is mainly remembered for his service in the 1790s in the Northwest Indian War, which included many actions in Indiana and Ohio.
In the 1920s, Indiana had the strongest Ku Klux Klan organization in the country under Grand Dragons D. C. Stephenson and Walter F. Bossert, with control over the state legislature and an ally in Governor Ed Jackson.[2] At its height, national membership during the second Klan movement reached 1.5 million, with 300,000 from Indiana.[3] Records show that Wayne County, home to Whitewater Klan No. 60, was a Klan stronghold, with up to 45 percent of the county's white males having been Klan members.[3] Robert Lyons, of Richmond, was national chief of staff for the Klan.[4]
[edit] Government
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 county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also 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.[5][6]
Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, the collection of revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.[5][6]
Court: The county maintains a small claims court that can handle some civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is also elected to terms of four years. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.[6]
County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. Each of these elected officers serve terms of four years and oversee different parts of the county government. Members elected to any county government position are required to declare a party affiliation and be a resident of the county.[6]
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 404 square miles (1,047 km²), of which 404 square miles (1,045 km²) is land and 1 square mile (2 km²) (0.19%) is water. Wayne County includes Indiana's highest natural elevation, Hoosier Hill, at 1,257 feet (383 m).
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Randolph County (north)
- Darke County, Ohio (northeast)
- Preble County, Ohio (east)
- Union County (south)
- Fayette County (southwest)
- Henry County (west)
[edit] Cities and towns
[edit] Unincorporated towns
[edit] Townships
[edit] Major highways
[edit] Demographics
| Wayne County Population by year |
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2000 71,097 |
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As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 71,097 people, 28,469 households, and 19,301 families residing in the county. The population density was 176 people per square mile (68/km²). There were 30,468 housing units at an average density of 76 per square mile (29/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.04% White, 5.10% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.69% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. 1.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 24.7% were of American, 23.3% German, 10.8% English and 10.6% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 28,469 households out of which 30.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.80% were married couples living together, 11.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.20% were non-families. 27.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.20% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,885, and the median income for a family was $42,811. Males had a median income of $32,298 versus $21,901 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,727. About 8.50% of families and 11.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.10% of those under age 18 and 8.60% of those age 65 or over.
According to an estimate released in 2009 by the United States Census Bureau, in 2008 Wayne County had a relatively high percentage of divorced residents over age 15: 19.2 percent. Among 54,810 native born residents 19.4 percent were divorced, and among 550 foreign born residents none were divorced. Among Whites, 18.7 percent were divorced, while 11.6 percent of Blacks or African Americans were divorced. The age category with the highest percentage of divorced person was 45-54. (males: 35 percent; females 33.5 percent). Among males and females aged 15-19, the percent divorced was zero.[8]
[edit] School Corporations
- Richmond Community Schools, Richmond
- Western Wayne Schools, Cambridge City
- Northeastern Wayne Schools, Fountain City
- Nettle Creek Schools, Hagerstown
- Centerville-Abington Community Schools, Centerville
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ "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.
- ^ Indiana State Library, Ku Klux Klan Resources from the Indiana Division, http://www.statelib.lib.in.us/www/isl/indiana/Klan.html, URL accessed May 30, 2006
- ^ a b Ku Klux Klan, Wayne County, Indiana Records, 1916–1933, http://www.indianahistory.org/library/manuscripts/collection_guides/M0407.html, URL accessed on May 29, 2006.
- ^ Klan issue in Democrat race for president. (May 14, 1924). Richmond Evening Item, p. 1.
- ^ a b Indiana Code. "Title 36, Article 2, Section 3". IN.gov. http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title36/ar2/ch3.html. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ a b c d Indiana Code. "Title 2, Article 10, Section 2" (PDF). IN.gov. http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title3/ar10/ch2.pdf. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Wayne County, Indiana S1201. Marital Status; United States Census Bureau http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-state=st&-context=st&-qr_name=ACS_2008_1YR_G00_S1201&-ds_name=ACS_2008_1YR_G00_&-tree_id=308&-_caller=geoselect&-geo_id=05000US18177&-format=&-_lang=en, URL accessed September 23, 2009.
- Forstall, Richard L. (editor) (1996). Population of states and counties of the United States: 1790 to 1990 : from the twenty-one decennial censuses. United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Population Division. ISBN 0-934213-48-8.
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Randolph County | Darke County, Ohio | |
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| Henry County |  |
Preble County, Ohio | ||
 Wayne County, Indiana  |
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| Fayette County | Union County |
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