Decatur is a city in Root

Root Township, Adams County, Indiana

Root Township is one of twelve townships in Adams County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,433.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Root Township covers an area of ; of this, or 0.35 percent is water....

  and Washington

Washington Township, Adams County, Indiana

Washington Township is one of twelve townships in Adams County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 10,528.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Washington Township covers an area of ; of this, or 0.1 percent is water....

 townships, Adams County

Adams County, Indiana

Adams County lies in northeastern Indiana in the United States and shares its eastern border with Ohio. It was officially established in 1836. The county seat is Decatur....

, Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The city, which serves as the county seat

County seat

A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 of Adams County

Adams County, Indiana

Adams County lies in northeastern Indiana in the United States and shares its eastern border with Ohio. It was officially established in 1836. The county seat is Decatur....

, takes its name after the prominent war hero Stephen Decatur, Jr.

Stephen Decatur

Stephen Decatur, Jr. , was an American naval officer notable for his many naval victories in the early 19th century. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland, Worcester county, the son of a U.S. Naval Officer who served during the American Revolution. Shortly after attending college Decatur...

, one of the captains of the original 6 frigates of the US navy. When Indiana claimed official statehood in 1816, Decatur's name was as well known and revered as any star/celebrity today, thus when the town of Decatur was founded in 1836 it took its name in honor of the war hero.