Jackson County, Indiana
Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 42,376. The county seat is Brownstown. History. Jackson County was formed in 1816. It was named after General Andrew Jackson. Jackson County was the site of the first recorded train robbery of a moving train in the United States. On October 6, 1866, the Reno Gang robbed an Ohio and Mississippi Railway train, making off with over $10,000. Jackson County has the second longest 3-span covered bridge in the world; The Medora Covered Bridge. After a recent  project to completely refurbish the Medora Covered Bridge, the nearby town of Medora now holds an annual event at the bridge. The bridge is open for pedestrian traffic and site-seers. Another long neglected covered bridge, the Bells Ford Bridge, believed to have been the last remaining Post Truss bridge in the world, succumbed to neglect, collapsing into the White River on January 2, 2006. Geography. According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 99.10%) is land and (or 0.90%) is water. Major highways. Sources: National Atlas, U.S. Census Bureau Climate and weather . In recent years, average temperatures in Brownstown have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in May. 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 fiscal body of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. The 7  representatives are elected from 4 county districts and 3 at-large positions. 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. 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, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government. 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 six 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 several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county. Jackson County is part of Indiana's 9th congressional district and was represented in Congress by Republican Todd Young until Young was elected to the Senate. Since then, it has been represented by Trey Hollingsworth. It is also part of Indiana Senate districts 44 and  45 and Indiana House of Representatives districts 65, 66,69 and 73. Demographics. As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 42,376 people, 16,501 households, and 11,629 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 18,202 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 94.5% white, 0.8% Asian, 0.7% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.4% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 28.8% were German, 13.1% were  American, 12.8% were Irish, and 9.2% were English. Of the 16,501 households, 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.5% were non-families, and 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age was 38.7 years. The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $53,534. Males had a median income of $ 38,608 versus $30,030 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,498. About 7.6% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.7% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.