Huntington County, Indiana

Huntington County, Indiana
Huntington County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. According to the 2020 United States Census, the population was 36,662. The county seat (and only city) is Huntington.
Huntington County comprises the Huntington, Indiana micropolitan statistical area and is included in the Fort Wayne–Huntington–Auburn Combined Statistical Area.
History
Huntington County was organized from the previously unorganized Indiana Territory and lands gained by the Adams New Purchase of 1818. The county's creation was authorized by an act of the Indiana state legislature dated 2 February 1832. Organization of the county's governing structure began on 5 May 1834. The first non–Native American settlers in what has since become Huntington County were a group of 29 farm families from Connecticut who arrived in the early 1830s. These were "Yankee" settlers, meaning they were descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the colonial era. These settlers were able to get to what has since become Huntington County due to the construction of the Wabash and Erie Canal, which was a shipping canal that connected the Great Lakes to the Ohio River by way of a manmade waterway. When they arrived in what has since become Huntington County, the settlers from Connecticut found dense virgin forest and wild prairie. The original 29 "Yankee" families from Connecticut laid out roads; built a post office; established post routes; and built a town hall, a church, and a schoolhouse from the trees in the area that they cut down. The county was named for Samuel Huntington, who signed the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. He was also president of the Continental Congress under the Articles of Confederation.
Geography
The terrain of Huntington County consists of low rolling hills, completely devoted to agriculture or urban development. The Wabash River flows to the west through the upper-central part of the county, while the Salamonie River flows to the west through the lower part. Its highest point (about 925 feet (282 m) above sea level) is at the southwest corner.
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 98.69%) is land and (or 1.31%) is water.
Adjacent counties
Whitley County – north
Allen County – northeast
Wells County – east
Grant County – south
Wabash County – west
Highways
Interstate 69
U.S. Route 24
U.S. Route 224
State Road 3
State Road 5
State Road 9
State Road 16
State Road 105
State Road 114
State Road 116
State Road 124
State Road 218
City and towns
Andrews
Huntington (city)
Markle (partial)
Mount Etna
Roanoke
Warren
Townships
Clear Creek
Dallas
Huntington
Jackson
Jefferson
Lancaster
Polk
Rock Creek
Salamonie
Union
Warren
Wayne
Unincorporated communities
Banquo
Bippus
Bowerstown
Bracken
Buckeye
Goblesville
Harlansburg
Lancaster
Mahon
Majenica
Makin
Mardenis
Milo
Pleasant Plain
Plum Tree
Roanoke Station
Rock Creek Center
Simpson
Protected areas
JE Roush Fish and Wildlife Area
Lost Bridge State Recreation Area
Notable people
Public servants
Samuel E. Cook (1860–1946), U.S. congressman
J. Danforth Quayle, U.S. representative, senator, vice-president
J. Edward Roush (1920–2004), U.S. representative, father of "911"
John R. Kissinger (1877–1946), early malaria test subject
Elizebeth (Smith) Friedman (1892–1980), author and pioneer in cryptology during WWI to WWII era, called "America's first female cryptanalyst"
Celebrities
Chris Schenkel (1923–2005), sportscaster
Archbishop John F. Noll (1875–1956), founded Catholic newspaper Our Sunday Visitor, founded Victory Noll and St. Felix Monastery.
Sandy Thomson, chief weather specialist, WANE-TV Fort Wayne
Mia Khalifa, Adult Film Actress
Artists
Mick Mars, guitarist for Mötley Crüe.
Eiffel G. Plasterer (fl. 1950s), pioneer in soap bubble art
Athletes
Gary Dilley, Tokyo Olympics swimmer
George Haines, Olympic Women's Swim coach
Glen S. Hummer, Tokyo Olympics Men's Swim coach
W.L. Seibold, national horseshoe champion
Mark Seibold, World horseshoe champion (1966, 1969, 1979, 1986)
Ned Steele, 1938 national Ping Pong champion.
Steve Platt, basketball player and former coach at Huntington University. Indiana's all-time collegiate scoring leader (3,700 points), placing him seventh on the list of all-time collegiate scorers at any level. Led the nation in scoring (1973, 1974).
Lisa Winter, basketball player at Ball State University and Valparaiso University. Indiana's Miss Basketball 1996.
Matt Pike, football player at Purdue University and in the Arena Football League, 1999–Present. Won AF2 Title with Peoria in 2002.
Chris Kramer, professional basketball player. Kramer played college basketball at Purdue University where he was two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
Points of interest
Huntington County Historical Museum
Huntington University Arboretum and Botanical Garden
Huntington University
J. Edward Roush Lake
Joseph Decuis Restaurant
Merillat Centre for the Arts
Our Sunday Visitor Corporate Headquarters
Sheets Wildlife Museum and Learning Center
Sunken Gardens
The Forks Of The Wabash
The Indiana Room Genealogy Center
Tel-Hy Nature Preserve
Two-EE's Winery
United States Vice Presidential Museum
Victory Noll Center
Education
School district
Huntington County Community School Corporation
Private schools
Huntington Area Home Educators
Huntington Catholic School
Higher education
Huntington University
News and media
Newspapers
The Herald-Press daily newspaper
The Huntington County TAB
Warren Weekly
HuntingtonFreePress
Huntingtonian
Radio
WBZQ 1300 AM
Huntington North High School WVSH Viking Radio
WQHU-LP Huntington University Radio WQHU 105.5-FM Forester Radio]
Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Huntington have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1982 and a record high of was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in June.
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 fiscal branch of the county government; controls spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives, elected to four-year terms from county districts, are responsible for setting 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 and legislative body of the county. The commissioners are elected county-wide to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners are charged with collecting revenue and managing 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.
Huntington County is part of Indiana's 3rd congressional district; Indiana Senate districts 17 and 19; and Indiana House of Representatives district 50.
Presidential Election Analysis: Huntington County has been strongly Republican; Lyndon B. Johnson was the last Democratic Party candidate to carry the county (1964).
Demographics
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 37,124 people, 14,218 households, and 10,074 families in the county. The population density was . There were 15,805 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.1% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.4% black or African American, 0.5% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 37.9% were German, 14.9% were Irish, 12.9% were American, and 12.1% were English.
Of the 14,218 households, 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.1% were non-families, and 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age was 39.0 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $55,630. Males had a median income of $41,648 versus $30,218 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,575. About 7.7% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.
See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Huntington County, Indiana
Further reading
History of Huntington County, Indiana. Walsworth Publishing Co. (1887).
References
External links
Huntington County Chamber of Commerce
Official Web site of Huntington, Indiana
Huntington County Community Network
Huntington Herald Press daily newspaper
Huntington County United Economic Development
Indiana counties
1832 establishments in Indiana
Populated places established in 1832
Fort Wayne, IN Metropolitan Statistical Area
Sundown towns in Indiana