Wells County, Indiana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Wells County, Indiana | |
 Location in the state of Indiana |
|
 Indiana's location in the U.S. |
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| Seat | Bluffton |
|---|---|
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
370 sq mi (959 km²) 370 sq mi (958 km²) 0 sq mi (1 km²), 0.12% |
| Population - Density |
27,600 75/sq mi (29/km²) |
| Founded | 1837 |
| Named for | William A. Wells |
| Congressional district | 6th |
| Website | www.wellscounty.org |
Wells County (County Number 90) is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2000, the population was 27,600. The county seat is Bluffton[1].
Contents |
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 370 square miles (959 km²), of which 370 square miles (958 km²) is land and 0 square miles (1 km²) (0.12%) is water.
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Allen County (north)
- Adams County (east)
- Jay County (southeast)
- Blackford County (south)
- Grant County (west)
- Huntington County (northwest)
[edit] Cities and towns
[edit] Unincorporated towns
[edit] Townships
[edit] Major highways
Interstate 69
U.S. Route 224
Indiana State Road 1
Indiana State Road 3
Indiana State Road 116
Indiana State Road 124
Indiana State Road 201
Indiana State Road 218
Indiana State Road 301
[edit] History
Wells County was formed in 1837. It was named for Capt. William A. Wells, who 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. The Potawatomi ate Capt. Wells' heart to gain part of his courage.
[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.[2][3]
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.[2][3]
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.[3]
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.[3]
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 27,600 people, 10,402 households, and 7,624 families residing in the county. The population density was 75 people per square mile (29/km²). There were 10,970 housing units at an average density of 30 per square mile (11/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.32% White, 0.16% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. 1.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 38.7% were of German, 16.0% American, 9.0% English, 7.5% Irish and 5.1% Swiss ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 10,402 households out of which 35.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.90% were married couples living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.70% were non-families. 23.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the county the population was spread out with 27.30% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 14.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $43,934, and the median income for a family was $51,517. Males had a median income of $35,830 versus $22,442 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,158. About 4.20% of families and 5.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.00% of those under age 18 and 6.90% of those age 65 or over.
| Wells County Population by year |
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2000 27,600 |
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[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.
- ^ 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.
- 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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Huntington County | Allen County | |
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| Grant County |  |
Adams County | ||
 Wells County, Indiana  |
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| Blackford County | Jay County |
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