Lebanon, Indiana
Encyclopedia
Lebanon is a city in and the county seat
of Boone County
, Indiana
, United States
. The population was 15,792 at the 2010 census. The city was named Lebanon because a stand of hickory trees on the site reminded one of the town's commissioners of the Biblical cedars
of Lebanon
. Lebanon is located in central Indiana, northwest of Indianapolis
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 7.3 square miles (18.9 km²), all of it land.
limestone columns. They were at one time the largest single-piece limestone columns in the world.
of 2000, there were 14,222 people, 5,834 households, and 3,780 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,952.9 people per square mile (754.3/km²). There were 6,202 housing units at an average density of 851.6 per square mile (328.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.67% White, 0.33% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.58% from other races
, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.61% of the population.
There were 5,834 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,791, and the median income for a family was $47,769. Males had a median income of $35,614 versus $22,791 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $18,245. About 4.4% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.
) did not file to run for a fifth term, which left the 2007 election open to new candidates.
The last mayoral election occurred in November 2007. The candidates were: Republican John Lasley, President of the Lebanon City-Council, Democrat Roger Neal, Lebanon Community School Corporation School Board member and former Lebanon Parks and Recreation Director, and independent candidate George Piper who formerly was an editor at The Lebanon Reporter
, which is Boone County's largest newspaper.
Republican City Council President John Lasley won the election with 48% of the vote, to Democrat Roger Neal's 27% and Independent George Piper's 25%.
30% of registered voters cast votes in the 2007 election.
Lasley died on May 2, 2009. He was battling a recurrence of cancer since December. City Council President Dick Robertson assumed the mayoral duties until the Republican Party precinct chairpersons met to choose Harold "Huck" Lewis as his successor.
Despite having recently elected Democratic mayors, Lebanon can be considered to be highly Republican when it comes to national and state politics. In the 2008 election, Boone County (the county in which Lebanon is located) voted 62% for Republican presidential candidate John McCain and more than 80% for Republican gubernatorial candidate Mitch Daniels.
has six schools under its jurisdiction: four elementary schools, a middle school and a high school. Lebanon High School has won 6 education awards in the past 10 years.
, Hendrickson International, the Parkwood Health Care Center
and Witham Health Services.
is located two nautical mile
s (2.3 mi
, 3.7 km
) southeast of Lebanon's central business district
.
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 Boone County
Boone County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 46,107 people, 17,081 households, and 12,810 families residing in the county. The population density was 109 people per square mile . There were 17,929 housing units at an average density of 42 per square mile...
, 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 population was 15,792 at the 2010 census. The city was named Lebanon because a stand of hickory trees on the site reminded one of the town's commissioners of the Biblical cedars
Lebanon Cedar
Cedrus libani is a species of cedar native to the mountains of the Mediterranean region.There are two distinct types that are considered to be different subspecies or varieties. Lebanon cedar or Cedar of Lebanon Cedrus libani is a species of cedar native to the mountains of the Mediterranean...
of Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. Lebanon is located in central Indiana, northwest of Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
.
Geography
Lebanon is located at 40°3′8"N 86°28′18"W (40.052137, -86.471570).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 7.3 square miles (18.9 km²), all of it land.
Notable architecture
The county courthouse of Lebanon is notable for its single-piece vertical Ionic orderIonic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
limestone columns. They were at one time the largest single-piece limestone columns in the world.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 14,222 people, 5,834 households, and 3,780 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,952.9 people per square mile (754.3/km²). There were 6,202 housing units at an average density of 851.6 per square mile (328.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.67% White, 0.33% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.58% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.61% of the population.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,791, and the median income for a family was $47,769. Males had a median income of $35,614 versus $22,791 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $18,245. About 4.4% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of seven members. Five are elected from individual districts. Two are elected at-large.Politics
Former Mayor Jim Acton (Democratic PartyDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
) did not file to run for a fifth term, which left the 2007 election open to new candidates.
The last mayoral election occurred in November 2007. The candidates were: Republican John Lasley, President of the Lebanon City-Council, Democrat Roger Neal, Lebanon Community School Corporation School Board member and former Lebanon Parks and Recreation Director, and independent candidate George Piper who formerly was an editor at The Lebanon Reporter
The Lebanon Reporter
The Lebanon Reporter is a daily newspaper serving Lebanon, Indiana, and adjacent portions of Boone County, Indiana. It is owned by Community Newspaper Holdings Inc.The paper's marketing slogan is "Something for Everyone."- External links :* *...
, which is Boone County's largest newspaper.
Republican City Council President John Lasley won the election with 48% of the vote, to Democrat Roger Neal's 27% and Independent George Piper's 25%.
30% of registered voters cast votes in the 2007 election.
Lasley died on May 2, 2009. He was battling a recurrence of cancer since December. City Council President Dick Robertson assumed the mayoral duties until the Republican Party precinct chairpersons met to choose Harold "Huck" Lewis as his successor.
Despite having recently elected Democratic mayors, Lebanon can be considered to be highly Republican when it comes to national and state politics. In the 2008 election, Boone County (the county in which Lebanon is located) voted 62% for Republican presidential candidate John McCain and more than 80% for Republican gubernatorial candidate Mitch Daniels.
Schools
Lebanon Community School CorporationLebanon Community School Corporation
The Lebanon Community School Corporation governs education in the areas surrounding the city of Lebanon, Indiana, the county seat and largest city in Boone County, Indiana....
has six schools under its jurisdiction: four elementary schools, a middle school and a high school. Lebanon High School has won 6 education awards in the past 10 years.
Just west of Lebanon is Western Boone, which, after a formal study, is shown to be a lower ranked academic system with a suffering athletic program.
Economy
Major employers in Lebanon include General Foam Plastics, Hachette Book Group USAHachette Book Group USA
Hachette Book Group is a publishing company owned by Hachette Livre, the largest publishing company in France, and the second largest publisher in the world. Hachette Livre is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lagardère Group. HBG was formed when Hachette Livre purchased the Time Warner Book Group from...
, Hendrickson International, the Parkwood Health Care Center
Kindred Healthcare
Kindred Healthcare Incorporated is a healthcare services company that through its subsidiaries operates hospitals, nursing centers, and contract rehabilitation services across the United States...
and Witham Health Services.
Transportation
The Boone County AirportBoone County Airport (Indiana)
Boone County Airport is a privately owned, public-use airport located two nautical miles southeast of the central business district of Lebanon, a city in Boone County, Indiana, United States.- Facilities and aircraft :...
is located two nautical mile
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
s (2.3 mi
Mile
A mile is a unit of length, most commonly 5,280 feet . The mile of 5,280 feet is sometimes called the statute mile or land mile to distinguish it from the nautical mile...
, 3.7 km
Kilometre
The kilometre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousand metres and is therefore exactly equal to the distance travelled by light in free space in of a second...
) southeast of Lebanon's central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
.
Notable natives and former residents
- Rick MountRick MountRichard Carl Mount is a former American basketball player in the American Basketball Association . He was the first high school athlete to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.-Early life:...
, 1966 Indiana "Mr. Basketball" award recipient, former PurduePurdue UniversityPurdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
basketball player, member of the 1972 ABA Championship Indiana PacersIndiana PacersThe Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
team. - Craig TerrillCraig TerrillCraig Adam Terrill is an American football defensive tackle who is currently with the Seattle Seahawks. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
, former Purdue football player, former defensive tackle for the Seattle SeahawksSeattle SeahawksThe Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
in the NFL. - Mel KenyonMel KenyonMel Kenyon is a former midget car driver. He is known as the "King of the Midgets", "Miraculous Mel", and "Champion of Midget Auto Racing." The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America says "Many consider him to be midget car racing's greatest driver ever." -Racing career:He attended his first auto...
, hall of fame midget car driver. - Doug JonesDoug Jones (baseball)Douglas Reid Jones is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During a 16-year career, he played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Cleveland Indians , Baltimore Orioles , and Oakland Athletics , all of the American League, and the Houston Astros , Philadelphia Phillies , and...
, former relief pitcher and All-Star in Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League... - Kent Poole, played the role of "Merle" in the 1986 movie HoosiersHoosiersHoosiers is a 1986 sports film about a small-town Indiana high school basketball team that wins the state championship. It is loosely based on the Milan High School team that won the 1954 state championship....
, had a role in the 1988 movie Fresh HorsesFresh HorsesFresh Horses is a 1988 drama film starring Andrew McCarthy and Molly Ringwald, directed by David Anspaugh.-Plot:A Cincinnati college student breaks off his engagement to his wealthy fiancée after he falls in love with a backwoods Kentucky girl he meets at a party...
. - Jeff C. Young, Spur AwardSpur AwardThe Spur Award is an annual literary prize awarded by the Western Writers of America. Founded in 1953 with only four categories , the award today has expanded to include the following categories:...
winning author of nonfiction books for young readers. - Uncle Johnny Coons, host of a children's show broadcast from Chicago. The show went national for one season in 1955. He was born in Lebanon in 1916 and attended Lebanon High School.
- Three time Emmy nominated Visual Effects Compositor, Sherry Hitch, known for her work at Industrial Light & Magic in San Francisco, CA. Her credits include Pirates of the CaribbeanPirates of the CaribbeanPirates of the Caribbean is a multi-billion dollar Walt Disney franchise encompassing a series of films, a theme park ride, and spinoff novels as well as numerous video games and other publications. The franchise originates with the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, which opened at Disneyland in...
(2003, 2006),Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the SithStar Wars Episode III: Revenge of the SithStar Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the sixth and final film released in the Star Wars saga and the third in terms of the series' internal chronology....
(2005), Star Trek (film) (2009), and Avatar (2009 film).