Steuben County, Indiana

Steuben County, Indiana
Steuben County is a county in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States Census the county population was 34,435. The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Angola. Steuben County comprises the Angola, IN Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
After the American Revolutionary War established US sovereignty over the territory of the upper midwest, the new federal government defined the Northwest Territory in 1787 which included the area of present-day Indiana. In 1800, Congress separated Ohio from the Northwest Territory, designating the rest of the land as the Indiana Territory. President Thomas Jefferson chose William Henry Harrison as the governor of the territory, and Vincennes was established as the capital. After the Michigan Territory was separated and the Illinois Territory was formed, Indiana was reduced to its current size and geography. By December 1816, the Indiana Territory was admitted to the Union as a state.
This area was historically occupied by the Potawatomi people, one of the tribes in the Council of Three Fires. Typically they lived in highly decentralized bands. Treaties signed by some leaders with United States representatives ceded large areas of their territory to the US. Starting in 1794, Native American titles to Indiana lands were extinguished by usurpation, purchase, or war and treaty. The United States acquired land from the Native Americans in the 1809 treaty of Fort Wayne, by the treaty of St. Mary's in 1818, and in 1826 by the Treaty of Mississinewas, which included the future Steuben County.
The Indiana State Legislature passed an omnibus county bill on 7 February 1835 that authorized the creation of thirteen counties in northeast Indiana, including Steuben. In 1837 the county was organized. It was named for Baron Frederick von Steuben, an officer of the American Revolutionary War. In 1840 the Potawatomi were forcibly removed from this area and neighboring territory in Michigan and Ohio to Indian Territory in Kansas.
A Potawatomi chief, Baw Beese, led a band that was based at what later became known as Baw Beese Lake nearby in Michigan. His daughter Winona married Negnaska and lived in what is now Indiana. She was executed in the 1830s by her husband's people after she killed Negnaska for selling her pony. Winona's husband had pledged his rifle to Aaron B. Goodwin of Fremont for the use of a 5-gallon keg. The Indians had the keg filled with whiskey at Nichols' store in Jamestown, and he took all the money they had. Negnaska sold his wife Winona's pony in order to pawn his rifle. Winona owned the pony outright, either as a gift from her father or having bought it with her own money. She killed Negnaska in anger for selling what was hers. Winona was held by the tribe for a few hours until her husband's nearest relative arrived to execute her. As was their custom, he stabbed her to the heart as she had her husband.
John D. Barnard and Sheldon Havens encountered the Potawatomi group after the execution; they helped them move the bodies to a nearby grave that had been dug. The Indians did not bury the bodies until after the white men were out of sight. But Dr. B.F. Sheldon found out about it and exhumed the bodies for dissection a few days later, outraging the mourning Potawatomi. About two weeks later some Potawatomi returned the keg to Goodwin and tried to retrieve Negnaska's rifle, but Goodwin pretended not to know the man had been killed and refused to release the rifle to his friends.
Geography
The county's low rolling hills have been largely cleared and leveled for agricultural use, although the drainage areas are still wooded. The highest point (ASL) is a hillock east of Glen Eden.
The county contains a state park and 105 lakes of various sizes. Some of the larger lakes are Lake James, Lake George, Clear Lake, Jimmerson Lake, Lake Gage, and Crooked Lake.
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 95.80%) is land and (or 4.20%) is water.
Adjacent counties
Branch County, Michigan - north
Hillsdale County, Michigan - northeast
Williams County, Ohio - east
DeKalb County - south
Noble County - southwest
LaGrange County - west
Major highways
Indiana Toll Road (Interstate 80 and Interstate 90)
Interstate 69
U.S. Route 20
State Road 1
State Road 120
State Road 127
State Road 327
State Road 427
State Road 827
City and towns
Angola (city/county seat)
Ashley
Clear Lake
Fremont
Hamilton
Hudson
Orland
Unincorporated communities
Alvarado
Berlien
Clarks Landing
Cold Springs
Courtney Corner
Crooked Lake
Ellis
Flint
Forest Park
Fountain Park
Glen Eden
Helmer
Indian Hills
Inverness
Island Park
Jamestown
Lake James
Lakeside Park
Meadow Shores Park
Metz
Moonlight
Nevada Mills
Oakwood
Otsego Center
Page
Panama
Penn Park
Pleasant Lake
Ravinia Oaks
Ray
Russels Point
Salem Center
Steubenville
Turkey Creek
Westview
Wildwood
York
Townships
Clear Lake
Fremont
Jackson
Jamestown
Millgrove
Otsego
Pleasant
Richland
Salem
Scott
Steuben
York
Protected areas
Cedar Lake Wetlands Conservation Area
Marsh Lake Wetlands State Fish and Wildlife Area
Pokagon State Park
Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Angola have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1981 and a record high of was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in August.
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 legislative branch of the county government; controls spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected to four-year terms from county districts. They set salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council 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.
Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county; commissioners are elected county-wide to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute acts legislated by the council, collect revenue, and manage the county government.
Court: The county maintains a small claims court that handles 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 a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.
County Officials: The county has other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. These officers are elected to four-year terms. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.
Steuben County is part of Indiana's 3rd congressional district.
Steuben County is very Republican at the Presidential level. The only time it voted for a Democrat was for Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, and it was narrow.
Demographics
2010 Census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 34,185 people, 13,310 households, and 9,153 families in the county. The population density was . There were 19,377 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 96.8% white, 0.5% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.9% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 37.8% were German, 12.6% were English, 10.5% were Irish, and 8.2% were American.
Of the 13,310 households, 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.2% were non-families, and 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age was 40.2 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $57,154. Males had a median income of $40,833 versus $29,614 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,950. About 7.7% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.4% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Colleges and universities
Trine University
School districts
Fremont Community Schools
Hamilton Community Schools
M S D of Steuben County
Prairie Heights Community School Corporation
Notable people
Edgar "Pop" Buell (1913–1980), humanitarian aid worker in Laos in the 1960s and 1970s, was born in Richland Township and farmed there until he joined International Voluntary Services in 1960.
Sile Doty (1800-1876), infamous robber, burglar, horse thief, highwayman, counterfeiter, and criminal gang leader.
See also
The Herald Republican, daily newspaper covering Steuben County
National Register of Historic Places listings in Steuben County, Indiana
References
External links
National Register of Historic Places listings in Steuben County, Indiana
Official Site of Steuben County, Indiana
Steuben County Tourism Bureau
Steuben County Community Foundation
Carnegie Public Library of Steuben County
Steuben County Genealogical Society
Indiana counties
1837 establishments in Indiana
Populated places established in 1837
Sundown towns in Indiana