Monticello, Indiana
Encyclopedia
Monticello is a city in White County
, Indiana
, United States
. The population was 5,378 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat
of White County
.
Monticello is known as a tourist destination in north-central Indiana and is home to the Indiana Beach
amusement park, Lake Shafer
, and Lake Freeman
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 3 square miles (7.8 km²), of which, 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (7.31%) is water.
of 2000, there were 5,723 people, 2,268 households, and 1,417 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,047.9 people per square mile (792.0/km²). There were 2,414 housing units at an average density of 863.8 per square mile (334.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.39% White, 0.28% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 5.96% from other races
, and 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.22% of the population.
There were 2,268 households out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples
living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.5% 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 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,537, and the median income for a family was $42,831. Males had a median income of $30,478 versus $19,511 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,066. About 4.8% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.
on April 3, 1974, part the Super Outbreak
that caused death and destruction across the midwest and south. The aftermath of this storm is recorded in the Herald Journal's book, Killer Tornado. The tornado was classified as an F4 on the Fujita scale
(now EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita scale
). This storm killed eight people and was part of tornado family
that killed 18, causing an estimated $100 million in damage. The local paper said the aftermath was similar to a World War II
bombing.
Monticello was dealt a serious blow on September 2, 2005, when Jordan Manufacturing burned down. The company manufactured outdoor furniture such as folding chairs, umbrellas, and seat cushions. Due to the materials used in making these products, four city blocks were contaminated with toxins. The blaze was large enough to require firefighters from 7 surrounding communitites to battle it and needed close to "3000 gallons of water per minute for the first three hours of the blaze." (Herald Journal Weekend Edition of September 3–4-5, 2005) While such a fire might not be a big event for a larger city, this event had a profound impact on Monticello, as Jordan Manufacturing was one of the few manufacturing plants left in the city after a recession
in the 2000s.
The High School was totaled in the 1974 tornado and had to be rebuilt. During construction, students attended classes first in local churches and then in portable units that were set up close to the high school until the main High School building could be completed.
The lakes and campgrounds are popular tourist destinations, but the most well-known is Indiana Beach
. This amusement resort hosts up to 1,000,000 visitors each year and is home to the Hoosier Hurricane
, Cornball Express, Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain
, Tig'rr, Galaxi
, and Steel Hawg
roller coasters. The boardwalk is home to carnival type games, such as the classic Fascination
, food stands and specialty shops. The Shafer Queen, a paddle wheel excursion boat, offers scenic lake cruises.
The Madam Carroll, docked on Lake Freeman, offers scenic lake cruises with live entertainment. Dinner cruises are also held on certain dates.
s are held on Monticello's twin lakes—Freeman
and Shafer
. Lake Shafer's shores are used as a campground
. Indiana Beach is also located on this lake.
Monticello is the title and subject of a song in the musical Edges by Pasek and Paul.
White County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,267 people, 9,727 households, and 7,090 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 people per square mile . There were 12,083 housing units at an average density of 24 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 5,378 at the 2010 census. The city is 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 White County
White County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,267 people, 9,727 households, and 7,090 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 people per square mile . There were 12,083 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile...
.
Monticello is known as a tourist destination in north-central Indiana and is home to the Indiana Beach
Indiana Beach
Indiana Beach is an amusement park and resort located on Lake Shafer in Monticello, Indiana.-History:The resort was developed and owned by the Spackman family, who sold to Morgan RV Resorts LLC in 2008...
amusement park, Lake Shafer
Lake Shafer
Lake Shafer is one of two reservoirs located in the Twin Lakes area of Monticello, Indiana. It was created along with Lake Freeman in the 1920s when two dams were built outside of Monticello on the Tippecanoe River...
, and Lake Freeman
Lake Freeman
Lake Freeman is a reservoir outside of Monticello, Indiana formed in 1925 by the completion of the Oakdale Dam. Construction of the Oakdale Dam began in 1923 and was completed in 1925, damming the waters of the Tippecanoe River....
.
Geography
Monticello is located at 40°44′48"N 86°45′55"W (40.746709, -86.765359).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 3 square miles (7.8 km²), of which, 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (7.31%) is water.
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 5,723 people, 2,268 households, and 1,417 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 2,047.9 people per square mile (792.0/km²). There were 2,414 housing units at an average density of 863.8 per square mile (334.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.39% White, 0.28% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 5.96% 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 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.22% of the population.
There were 2,268 households out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.5% 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 3.04.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,537, and the median income for a family was $42,831. Males had a median income of $30,478 versus $19,511 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 $17,066. About 4.8% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.
History
Monticello, Indiana sustained serious damage by a tornadoTornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
on April 3, 1974, part the Super Outbreak
Super Outbreak
The Super Outbreak is the second largest tornado outbreak on record for a single 24-hour period, just behind the tornado outbreak of April 25–28, 2011...
that caused death and destruction across the midwest and south. The aftermath of this storm is recorded in the Herald Journal's book, Killer Tornado. The tornado was classified as an F4 on the Fujita scale
Fujita scale
The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...
(now EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita scale
Enhanced Fujita Scale
The Enhanced Fujita Scale rates the strength of tornadoes in the United States based on the damage they cause.Implemented in place of the Fujita scale introduced in 1971 by Ted Fujita, it began operational use on February 1, 2007. The scale has the same basic design as the original Fujita scale:...
). This storm killed eight people and was part of tornado family
Tornado family
A tornado family is a series of tornadoes spawned by the same supercell. These families form a line of successive or parallel tornado paths and can cover a short span or a vast distance. Tornado families are sometimes mistaken as a single continuous tornado, especially prior to the 1970s...
that killed 18, causing an estimated $100 million in damage. The local paper said the aftermath was similar to a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
bombing.
Monticello was dealt a serious blow on September 2, 2005, when Jordan Manufacturing burned down. The company manufactured outdoor furniture such as folding chairs, umbrellas, and seat cushions. Due to the materials used in making these products, four city blocks were contaminated with toxins. The blaze was large enough to require firefighters from 7 surrounding communitites to battle it and needed close to "3000 gallons of water per minute for the first three hours of the blaze." (Herald Journal Weekend Edition of September 3–4-5, 2005) While such a fire might not be a big event for a larger city, this event had a profound impact on Monticello, as Jordan Manufacturing was one of the few manufacturing plants left in the city after a recession
Recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way...
in the 2000s.
Twin Lakes School Corporation
Twin Lakes School Corporation is the school system in Monticello. The Schools are Eastlawn (elementary), Oaklawn (elementary), Meadowlawn (elementary), Woodlawn (elementary), Roosevelt Jr. High School, and Twin Lakes Sr. High School.The High School was totaled in the 1974 tornado and had to be rebuilt. During construction, students attended classes first in local churches and then in portable units that were set up close to the high school until the main High School building could be completed.
Tourism
Monticello's location between Lakes Shafer and Freeman and the proximity of Indiana Beach allow for a thriving tourism industry that plays a significant role in the city's economy. Although recreational options are geared primarily towards summer activities, the lakes are used throughout the year for fishing. Golfing and boating are available as three season sports. Additionally, Monticello has areas for cross country skiing, snowmobiling and ice skating in the winter.Dining
Monticello offers several dining options. There are fast food chain restaurants and locally owned establishments. The Sportsman Inn, Sublette's Ribs, Riverside, Marmolijo's Trio, Cazadores, Beaver Pub, Anglers and the Skyroom Restaurant are the most frequently cited as "best" in polls conducted by the local newspaper. Abe's, Arni's, Pizza King, Bruno's and Rocky's are all locally owned/operated pizzerias. There are three Chinese restaurants (Overseas, King Buffet, and Peking) and two Mexican restaurants. Esmerelda's Pancake House and USA Restaurant offer breakfast as does Johns' Beach Bakery and Kinser's Bakery.Entertainment
Monticello is home to one of the few surviving drive-in movie theatres in Indiana. It is called Lake Shore Drive-In and has two movie screens playing (in total) 4 movies a night during the spring and summer months in Monticello. On Sunday mornings, a Protestant church service is offered.The lakes and campgrounds are popular tourist destinations, but the most well-known is Indiana Beach
Indiana Beach
Indiana Beach is an amusement park and resort located on Lake Shafer in Monticello, Indiana.-History:The resort was developed and owned by the Spackman family, who sold to Morgan RV Resorts LLC in 2008...
. This amusement resort hosts up to 1,000,000 visitors each year and is home to the Hoosier Hurricane
Hoosier Hurricane
Hoosier Hurricane is a wooden roller coaster at Indiana Beach in Monticello, Indiana. The ride was designed by Dennis McNulty and Larry Bill of Custom Coasters International. It opened on May 27, 1994 as the park's largest wooden roller coaster and the first wooden roller coaster built in Indiana...
, Cornball Express, Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain
Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain
The Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain is a wooden roller coaster at Indiana Beach in Monticello, Indiana themed to that of a mine shaft. It was the last coaster Custom Coasters International finished. The ride is unusual as it has an elevator to raise the cars to the top of the track as...
, Tig'rr, Galaxi
Galaxi
Galaxi is the common name of a series of mass-produced roller coasters manufactured primarily by Italian company S.D.C, which went bankrupt in 1993...
, and Steel Hawg
Steel Hawg
Steel Hawg is a roller coaster at Indiana Beach, Monticello, Indiana. The ride is the first El Loco model built by manufacturer S&S Worldwide of Logan, Utah. The Steel Hawg was expected to open in mid May, but was rescheduled for an early July opening....
roller coasters. The boardwalk is home to carnival type games, such as the classic Fascination
Fascination (game)
Fascination is a game commonly found in North American amusement parks, boardwalks and arcades. The game would be considered in the same family as skee ball, in that prizes are often won for playing the game...
, food stands and specialty shops. The Shafer Queen, a paddle wheel excursion boat, offers scenic lake cruises.
The Madam Carroll, docked on Lake Freeman, offers scenic lake cruises with live entertainment. Dinner cruises are also held on certain dates.
Miscellaneous
During the summer, various fishing tournamentFishing tournament
A fishing tournament, or derby, is an organised competition among anglers. Fishing tournaments typically take place as a series of competitive events around or on a clearly defined body of water with specific rules applying to each event...
s are held on Monticello's twin lakes—Freeman
Lake Freeman
Lake Freeman is a reservoir outside of Monticello, Indiana formed in 1925 by the completion of the Oakdale Dam. Construction of the Oakdale Dam began in 1923 and was completed in 1925, damming the waters of the Tippecanoe River....
and Shafer
Lake Shafer
Lake Shafer is one of two reservoirs located in the Twin Lakes area of Monticello, Indiana. It was created along with Lake Freeman in the 1920s when two dams were built outside of Monticello on the Tippecanoe River...
. Lake Shafer's shores are used as a campground
Campsite
A campsite or camping pitch is a place used for overnight stay in the outdoors. In British English a campsite is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using tents or camper vans or caravans; this British English use of the word is synonymous with the...
. Indiana Beach is also located on this lake.
Monticello is the title and subject of a song in the musical Edges by Pasek and Paul.
External links
- City of Monticello, Indiana website
- Monticello Chamber of Commerce
- Official website of the Indiana Beach amusement park
- The Herald Journal, Monticello's Newspaper
- Sunny WMRS 107.7 -Monticello Radio
- Monticello Market -Monticello Online Classifieds
- White County official website
- MyMonticello -Monticello Indiana Online Community
- The Monticello Tornado