Warren County, Indiana
Encyclopedia
Warren County lies in western Indiana
between the Illinois
border and the Wabash River
in the United States. Before the arrival of non-indigenous settlers in the early 19th century, the area was inhabited by several Native American
tribes. The county
was officially established in 1827 and was the 55th county in Indiana. The county seat
is Williamsport
.
According to the 2000 census, the county was home to 8,419 people in 3,219 households; the 2010 population was 8,508. It is one of the most rural counties in the state, with the third-smallest population and the lowest population density at about . The county has four incorporated
towns with a total population of about 3,100, as well as many small unincorporated communities. The county is divided into 12 townships
which provide local services.
Much of the land in the county is given over to agriculture, especially on the open prairie in the northern and western parts; the county's farmland is among the most productive in the state. Nearer the river along the southeastern border, the land has many hills, valleys and tributary streams and is more heavily wooded. Agriculture, manufacturing, government, education and health care each provide substantial portions of the jobs in the county. Four Indiana state roads cross the county, as do two U.S. Routes and one major railroad line.
and Kickapoo tribes. By the late 18th century, many Miami had moved further south; most of Indiana north of the Wabash was then occupied by the Potawatomi
people. The first non-indigenous settler in the area was probably Zachariah Cicott
, a French-Canadian who first traded with the Kickapoo and Potawatomi people around 1802. When General William Henry Harrison
took an army from Vincennes
to the Battle of Tippecanoe
in late 1811, Cicott served as a scout; the trail taken by Harrison's army passed through the area that later became Warren County on its way to and from the battle site in Tippecanoe County
. Following the War of 1812, Cicott resumed his trading on the Wabash; the state of Indiana was established in 1816, and Cicott built a log house in 1817 at the location where he later founded the town of Independence
. Other settlers came to the area, but probably not until around 1822.
The county was established on March 1, 1827, by the Indiana General Assembly. It was named for Dr. Joseph Warren
, who was killed in 1775 at the Battle of Bunker Hill
, in which he fought as a private because his commission as a general had not yet taken effect. The short-lived town of Warrenton
was the original Warren County seat, chosen by commissioners in March 1828; the next year an act was passed calling for the seat to be relocated, and in June 1829 it was moved to Williamsport.
The first county courthouse was a log house in Warrenton that belonged to (and was occupied by) Enoch Farmer, one of the county's earliest settlers. When the county seat moved to Williamsport, a log house belonging to the town's founder, William Harrison, served this purpose for several years. The first purpose-built courthouse was completed in 1835 at a cost of $2,000; in 1872, it was replaced with a new building that cost $48,000. The third courthouse was built in 1886, in a new section of town that grew around the newly constructed railroad. That building burned in 1907, and the fourth and current Warren County courthouse
was completed on the same site in 1908 at a cost of $115,000.
As the 19th century progressed, the United States government's Indian removal
policy pushed Native American tribes west of the Mississippi River. In 1830, the Indian Removal Act
was signed into law, and though that act did not directly address the Potawatomi people of Indiana, it led to several additional treaties that resulted in their removal. In what came to be known as the Potawatomi Trail of Death
, about 860 Potawatomi Indians who had refused to leave were forced to move from Indiana to Kansas. On September 14, 1838, the group camped near Williamsport, and on September 15 they camped in the southwestern part of the county before moving into Illinois. Before reaching their destination in Kansas, over 40 of them had died, many of them children; two children died and were buried at the second Warren County campsite.
When the county was established, the Wabash River
was vital to transportation and shipping. Zachariah Cicott traded up and down the river, and cities like Attica
, Perrysville
, Baltimore and Williamsport were founded near the river's banks and flourished because of it. In the 1840s, the Wabash and Erie Canal
began to operate and provided even broader shipping opportunities, but the canal favored towns which were on the "right side" of the river; the canal was on the Fountain County
side, and towns like Baltimore dwindled as a result. Some towns, such as Williamsport and Perrysville, managed to participate in canal traffic through the use of side-cuts that brought traffic from the canal across the river. When railroads were constructed starting in the 1850s, they in turn began to render the canals obsolete and allowed trade to reach towns that lacked water connections. The canal continued to be used through the early 1870s.
The first trains to run in Warren County operated on portions of the Toledo, Wabash and Western Railway (later the Wabash Railroad
) in 1856. The railroad entered the county near Williamsport and was built westward, reaching the western border at State Line City by 1857. West Lebanon was the only other settlement near the railroad's path, but the line bypassed it by about a mile; the town subsequently moved northward to be nearer the station. In 1869 the Indianapolis, Bloomington and Western Railway was built across Mound Township in the southern part of the county. A few years later in 1872, a branch of the Chicago, Danville and Vincennes Railroad
(known as the "Pumpkin Vine Railroad
") was built from Bismarck, Illinois
, southeast through Warren County; it was built specifically to carry coal from the mines south of Covington
. A labor riot in the late 1870s stopped the flow of coal, and the rails were removed a few years later. At about this time, in the early 1880s, the Chicago and Indiana Coal Railroad began operating a north–south line through the county. It became part of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad
but was abandoned in 1920 due to financial difficulties; a new company operated the line as the Chicago, Attica and Southern Railroad
starting in 1921, but financial problems affected the new company as well and the rails were removed in 1946. Another line, part of the New York Central Railroad
, was built through the area in 1903; locally, it ran northeast from Danville into Warren County, then turned north through the small towns of Sloan and Stewart and continued north into Benton County. In the 1970s it became part of Penn Central, then Conrail
; operations on the line ceased in the 1990s and the tracks were removed, though a portion running north from Stewart remained and became the Bee Line Railroad
which serves the grain processing facility in Stewart.
The Wabash Cannonball was a passenger train that ran on the Wabash Railroad between Detroit, Michigan and Saint Louis, Missouri, starting in 1949. On September 19, 1964, the southbound Cannonball struck a truck loaded with concrete blocks at a crossing in Johnsonville. The driver of the truck was killed instantly, but although the train derailed, no other lives were lost. On the train, the driver and fireman were severely injured when the engine caught fire, and about half of the 50 passengers were injured. Over 1000 feet (304.8 m) of track was torn out, and the damage was estimated at over $500,000. The last run of the Cannonball was in 1969.
After peaking in the late 19th century, the county's population declined during the 20th, in common with much of the rural Midwest. The widespread adoption of the automobile in the 1920s undercut small-town businesses, which were threatened further by the Great Depression
of the 1930s. World War II and the economic revival of the late 1940s and 1950s drew people to better jobs in growing regional cities, and this further diminished small towns. The population shrank again in the 1980s due largely to the effects of the "farm crisis" of low crop prices, high farmer debt and other economic causes.
The first county fair
involved both Fountain and Warren counties and was held in Independence on September 6 and 7, 1853. In following years, the fair was held in Fountain County, and participation by Warren County farmers diminished. In 1856, farmers in the northern part of the county held a fair just east of Pine Village, and this continued each year through 1864. West Lebanon became the next site of the county fair, and it ran successfully through 1883; the fairgrounds just to the northwest of town were well-developed. Later, the fair was held at the county seat of Williamsport, and this continues through the present day; it is now a 4H fair.
One location in the county, near the small town of Kramer
, once had an international reputation: the Hotel Mudlavia
. Built in 1890 at a cost of $250,000, it drew guests from around the world to nearby natural springs that were said to have healing qualities. People such as James Whitcomb Riley
, John L. Sullivan
and Harry Lauder
are known to have stayed at the hotel, which burned down in 1920. Later, water from the springs was bottled and sold by Indianapolis-based Cameron Springs company, which was acquired by the Perrier Group of America
in 2000 for about $10.5 million. As of 2008 the water was still being sold and was marketed under a variety of names.
The Wabash River, coming out of Tippecanoe County
to the east, defines the southeastern border of the county; the terrain here is hilly and wooded areas are common. Fountain County lies across the river. By contrast, the northwest region consists mainly of flat prairie farmland; this continues in Benton County
to the north. Along the western side of the county is the border with Vermilion County
, Illinois
. The small southern border is shared with the north end of the similarly named Indiana county of Vermillion
. The state capital of Indianapolis
lies about 70 miles (112.7 km) to the southeast.
The highest free-falling waterfall in the state, Williamsport Falls
, is located in downtown Williamsport; a stream named Fall Creek flows through the town and falls 90 feet (27.4 m) over a sandstone ledge less than 1000 feet (304.8 m) from the county courthouse. Northeast of Independence is the Black Rock Barrens Nature Preserve, a rare siltstone
glade area that along with the adjacent Weiler-Leopold Nature Reserve supports a diversity of flora including sessile trillium
, phlox
and wild hyacinth
in the moist lowlands and serviceberry, rue anemone
, birdsfoot violet
and yellow pimpernel
on the drier slopes. Big Pine Creek
, the county's largest waterway after the Wabash River, is designated by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources as a scenic canoe trail and passes near Fall Creek Gorge Nature Preserve, an area of cascades and potholes.
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 366.4 square miles (949 km²), of which 364.68 square miles (944.5 km²) (or 99.53%) is land and 1.72 square miles (4.5 km²) (or 0.47%) is water. Elevations in the county range from 480 feet (146.3 m) above sea level where the Wabash River enters Vermillion County to 830 feet (253 m) in northeastern Prairie Township. The landscape consists mostly of flat or gently sloping moraine
overlaying silty and loamy glacial till, except along the Wabash River where sand, gravel, sandstone and shale are exposed. Various forms of silt loam
constitute most of the county's soil and are conducive to agriculture. Forests cover about 14% of the county, mainly around major waterways, and consist principally of deciduous hardwoods among which maple
–beech
and oak
–hickory
forests are the most common. The only coal mines in the county are located in the southeastern part of Steuben Township, near the Wabash River.
When the county was formed in 1827, it was divided into four townships
: Medina
, Warren
, Pike
and Mound
. Over the following decades, many changes were made to the township borders and eight new townships were created. Pine
and Washington
were the first of these, in March 1830; Steuben
followed in 1834. Liberty
was formed in 1843, Adams
in 1848, then Jordan
in 1850. Kent
and Prairie
were the last to be created, in 1864. As of 2000, Prairie Township, at 6.1 PD/sqmi, has the lowest population density; it covers more area than any of the other townships—nearly 50 square miles (129.5 km²)—and contains no incorporated towns. The highest density is in Washington Township, which has 123 PD/sqmi; it includes Williamsport, the county's largest town, and covers only about 20 square miles (51.8 km²).
There are four incorporated towns in the county. The largest is Williamsport, which is on the western banks of the Wabash River in the eastern part of the county, just downstream of Attica (which is on the east side of the river in Fountain County); in 2000, its population was 1,935—nearly one-fourth of the county's total. West Lebanon
is about 5 miles (8 km) west of Williamsport on State Road 28, with a population of 793. The town of Pine Village
lies about 11 miles (17.7 km) to the north of Williamsport where State Road 55 intersects State Road 26, near the northern edge of the county; 255 people live in Pine Village. State Line City
is in the southwestern part of the county and shares its western border with the Illinois
state line. A small Illinois community named Illiana
lies immediately on the west side of the county road which runs along the state border (and which is also a street between the two communities). State Line City is the smallest of the towns, with a population of 141.
In addition to the incorporated towns, there are over a dozen small unincorporated communities in Warren County that are historical centers of activity. Now they consist mostly of dwellings, though several have churches and some still have small businesses. The small settlements of Hedrick
, Pence
and Stewart
are in Jordan Township; Stewart consists of a grain processing facility and a single residence. In Steuben Township, Johnsonville
has a church and a handful of residences. Marshfield
has an automotive body repair shop and a grain elevator as well as a church. Independence
, platted in 1832, is located on the site of a trading post set up by Zachariah Cicott, who is buried in a cemetery just north of the town; it is located in Warren Township along with the small settlement of Winthrop
. Liberty Township has three unincorporated communities: Carbondale
, Judyville
and Kramer
(near the site of the Mudlavia Hotel). Several townships contain only a single settlement. Foster
is the only one in Mound Township and includes a motel along with a several houses. In the northeast corner of the county, Green Hill
is Medina Township's only settlement. Tab
is the only settlement in Prairie Township; most of this township is agricultural, and a large grain processing facility is Tab's only remaining business. Pine Township's only community is Rainsville
.
Some settlements did not survive. The river town of Baltimore thrived and was a major center of trade until the river was overshadowed by the railroad for purposes of trade and transportation; a single house, built long after the town's heyday, is all that remains. Warrenton had a promising start as the first county seat, but it began to wane after the seat moved, and today no trace is left. Chesapeake
was the first settlement in Steuben Township, but it faded away so early that even an 1883 county history has little to say on the subject. Brisco
was never large, though it did have a school house from the 1850s through the 1920s. It likewise disappeared by the end of the 20th century. Chatterton
had a school, a store and a post office, but it has disappeared even though the name continues to appear on maps. Other communities were planned but did not develop. Dresser
was never much more than a collection of houses, though it did have a post office for a few years around the turn of the 20th century. The settlements of Kickapoo
, Locust Grove
, Sloan
and Walnut Grove
were similar in this respect. Point Pleasant
never developed much beyond the founder's residence and a liquor store, and was later described as a "paper town".
region of the United States along with most of Indiana. Its Köppen climate classification
is Dfa, meaning that it is cold, has no dry season, and has a hot summer. In recent years, average temperatures in Williamsport have ranged from a low of 13 °F (-10.6 °C) in January to a high of 84 °F (28.9 °C) in July, although a record low of -24 °F was recorded in January 1999 and a record high of 99 °F (37.2 °C) was recorded in July 1995. Average monthly precipitation has ranged from 1.59 inches (4 cm) inches in February to 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) inches in June.
On April 17, 1922, a severe tornado touched down in Warren County. The town of Hedrick in southern Jordan Township was almost entirely destroyed, along with other buildings in the vicinity of the town, and several people were killed. From 1950 through 2009, ten tornadoes were reported in Warren County; none resulted in any deaths or injuries, but the total estimated property damage was over $3 million.
Warren County was affected by the Great Blizzard of 1978
which covered several states and was the worst blizzard on record for Indiana; in late January, a record of snowfall of over 20 inches (50.8 cm) fell locally, and high winds resulted in snowdrifts as high as 10 feet (3 m). Local schools were closed for up to seventeen days, and some residents were snowbound for as many as five days.
passes less than half a mile (less than one kilometer) from the southern border. About 20 miles (32.2 km) of federal highways
and 86 miles (138.4 km) of state highways cross the county, as do about 550 miles (885.1 km) of county roads. Of these, roughly a third are paved and the rest are topped with crushed gravel or packed dirt.
U.S. Route 41
enters from Benton County to the north and runs through the center of Warren County, veering to the east and crossing the Wabash River between Williamsport and Attica before continuing south. passes through the far southern part of the county on its route between Covington and Danville, Illinois
.
In the northern part of the county, begins at the Illinois border and passes through the town of Pine Village, where it intersects on its way from Oxford
in the north to Attica in the south; State Road 26 continues east through Lafayette
and on to the Ohio border. Likewise, State Road 28
runs across the state from Illinois to Ohio; it connects West Lebanon with Williamsport and continues east through Attica.
The four-lane divided State Road 63
runs south from its northern terminus at U.S. Route 41 near the center of the county; both reach Terre Haute
about 60 miles (96.6 km) to the south, but while Route 41 crosses to the east side of the river, State Road 63 remains on the west side. Construction on the current State Road 63, which replaced the older two-lane road and streamlined its route, began in the late 1960s and was completed by the early 1980s. The current two-lane is a part of the original route of State Road 63 and forms a 13 miles (20.9 km) business route that leaves its parent route, passes through West Lebanon and along the river, then rejoins its parent near the south edge of the county. A small portion of lies in the far northwestern corner of the county, following the county and state border north from State Road 26 for only about 1 miles (1.6 km) before leaving Warren County and entering Benton County on its way through the small town of Ambia
.
A Norfolk Southern Railway
route connecting Danville, Illinois, with the city of Lafayette
is the county's busiest rail line, carrying about 45 freight trains each day. It enters Warren County at State Line City and passes northeast through the communities of Johnsonville, Marshfield, West Lebanon and Williamsport before exiting the county at Attica. Two short-line railroads operate less frequently. The Bee Line Railroad
is used principally for agricultural transportation and runs approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) from Stewart north through Tab and into southern Benton County where it joins the Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern
. The 6 miles (9.7 km) Vermilion Valley Railroad serves the Flex-N-Gate factory near Covington and runs west from the plant through the town of Foster to meet a CSX
line in Danville.
The nearest airport is the small Vermilion Regional Airport, located northeast of Danville, Illinois. Purdue University Airport
is Indiana's second busiest airport and is operated by Purdue University in neighboring Tippecanoe County to the northeast. Indianapolis International Airport
is located about 90 miles (144.8 km) to the southeast.
Warren County's economy is supported by a labor force of approximately 4,815 workers with an unemployment rate in July 2010 of 8.8%. Farming is a significant part of the economy, employing approximately 14% of the county's workers and supporting grain elevators in most towns. In some cases, the elevator is the town's only formal business. The county's farmland is highly productive and is among the top 10% of Indiana counties in terms of crop yield per acre. In 2009, 94700 acres (38,323.8 ha) of corn
was planted and 93100 acres (37,676.3 ha) acres harvested, yielding an average of 187 bushels per acre for a total corn production of 17.4 million bushels. Approximately 72000 acres (29,137.4 ha) of soybeans were planted, yielding 55 bushels per acre for a total of 3.96 million bushels. Farmers also grew small amounts of hay
(3700 acres (1,497.3 ha)) and winter wheat
, and held 3,600 head of cattle. Roughly 86% of the county's 234413 acres (94,863.7 ha) is cropland.
About 14% of the labor force works in the government sector for state and county services and schools; in the non-government sector, manufacturing is the largest industry at about 17% of the labor force. The county has several industrial employers. Flex-N-Gate, an automobile parts assembly and warehouse facility, occupies the 750 acres (303.5 ha) former Olin factory complex west of Covington. In Williamsport, industry includes TMF Center, which manufactures parts for construction equipment and trucking; GL Technologies, which procures industrial tooling; and Kuri-Tec, which manufactures industrial hoses and accessories. Tru-Flex Metal Hose in West Lebanon has made stripwound and corrugated flexible metal hose since 1962; Dyna-Fab, also in West Lebanon, specializes in metal stampings and weldments. St. Vincent Hospital and a nursing home in Williamsport are also important local employers; 9.8% of the county's jobs relate to health care and social services.
Larger local economies in the more populous counties to the east and west offer additional employment and commerce, particularly in the cities of Lafayette and West Lafayette in Tippecanoe County and the city of Danville in Vermilion County, Illinois.
. There is one junior–senior school in the system: Seeger Memorial Junior-Senior High School
north of West Lebanon, which was built in 1957 as part of the school consolidation effort. Seeger had an enrollment of 634 students during the 2009–10 school year and graduated 90 students the previous year. Warren Central Elementary School is co-located with Seeger and served 310 students during the 2009–10 school year, while Williamsport Elementary School served 182 students and Pine Village Elementary School served 131 students.
There are no colleges or universities within Warren County, but there are several in nearby counties. Purdue University
is a major undergraduate and graduate land-grant university
in West Lafayette, approximately 20 miles (32.2 km) northeast in Tippecanoe County. The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, another major research land-grant university, is about 50 miles (80.5 km) to the west. Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana
has 23 campuses throughout the state; the closest to Warren County is in Lafayette. Danville Area Community College
is a public two-year college located in neighboring Vermilion County, Illinois, about 20 miles (32.2 km) southwest of Williamsport.
The towns of Williamsport and West Lebanon both have public libraries. The Williamsport-Washington Township Public Library
was built in 2002 and replaced the town's 1917 Carnegie library
; the West Lebanon-Pike Township Public Library
is housed in the original 1916 Carnegie building, which was expanded in 2006.
The county's single hospital is St. Vincent Williamsport Hospital
, a 16-bed acute care facility operated by Indianapolis-based St. Vincent Health
. The hospital includes a 24-hour emergency medical service
and ambulance service. Williamsport also has a nursing home
, "The Waters of Williamsport", a 96-bed facility that provides health care and rehabilitation services primarily for seniors.
George D. Wagner
was raised on a farm near Green Hill in Medina Township, where his family moved when he was four years old. As an adult he became a prosperous farmer; in 1856 he was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives, and he later served in the Indiana Senate. He fought in the Civil War on the Union side and was promoted to Brigadier General in 1863. After the war, he moved to Williamsport and practiced law; he died in 1869 at age 40 and is buried in Armstrong Cemetery north of Green Hill, near the farm where he was raised.
James Frank Hanly was born in Champaign County, Illinois
in 1863. He moved to Warren County in 1879 and worked as a school teacher from 1881 to 1889, when he joined a local law office. He entered politics and served as Governor of Indiana from 1905 to 1909. He was a strong supporter of prohibition
and lectured widely on the subject after his time as Governor. While traveling to such a lecture in 1920, he died in an automobile accident in Ohio and is buried at Hillside Cemetery on the northeast side of Williamsport.
Albert Lee Stephens, Sr.
was born in State Line City in 1874. He studied law in California and set up a private practice there, and later served in several legal positions before becoming a judge in 1919. In 1935 he was nominated by Franklin D. Roosevelt to serve as a United States District Court judge in California. Two years later Roosevelt nominated him to a new seat as judge in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and in 1957 he became chief judge. He died while still serving in 1965, at age 91.
Vernon Burge
attended school in West Lebanon, where his father worked as a blacksmith. After graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army in 1907 and was assigned to the Balloon Attachment of the Signal Corps. He later became part of the first United States military aviation unit, and in 1912 he became the first American enlisted man to be certified as a military pilot.
Like George Wagner, Donald E. Williams
grew up in Green Hill. He studied mechanical engineering at Purdue University, served as a pilot during the Vietnam War, then as a test pilot, and became a NASA astronaut in 1979; he flew on two Space Shuttle missions in the 1980s.
Stephanie White-McCarty
attended Seeger Memorial High School and was named 1995 Indiana Miss Basketball after setting a state scoring record while playing on the Seeger team. She went on to be part of Purdue University's first NCAA women's basketball championship team in 1999, then began a five-year career in the Women's National Basketball Association
.
The nearest major television market area is based in Indianapolis. The smaller Lafayette market area is closer and includes several broadcast stations that can be received in much of Warren County; the Champaign, Illinois market area is closer to the southwestern portions of the county and is also in broadcast range. There are no radio stations based in Warren County, but several nearby areas have AM and FM stations that are in broadcast range. This includes Lafayette and Terre Haute in Indiana, and Danville and Champaign-Urbana in Illinois.
and the Indiana Code
. The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms and 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. In 2010, the county budgeted approximately $2.2 million for the district's schools and $2.8 million for other county operations and services, for a total annual budget of approximately $5 million.
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 day-to-day functions of the county government.
The county maintains a small claims court
that can handle some 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 elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court
.
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 be residents of the county.
Each of the townships has a trustee who administers rural fire protection and ambulance service, provides poor relief and manages cemetery care, among other duties. The trustee is assisted in these duties by a three-member township board. The trustees and board members are elected to four-year terms.
Based on 2000 census results, Warren County is part of Indiana's 8th congressional district
. Most of the county is in the 38th Indiana Senate
district; the exceptions are Warren and Washington townships, which are in the 23rd. The western portion of the county is in the 42nd Indiana House of Representatives
district; the eastern townships of Adams, Medina and Warren are in the 26th.
was 23 PD/sqmi. There were 3,477 housing units at an average density of 10 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 99.09% white, 0.08% black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.07% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.44% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 19.2% were German
, 15.7% were American
, 10.1% were Irish
and 9.6% were English
.
There were 3,219 households, of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.90% were married couples living together, 6.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.70% were non-families. 21.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.98.
In terms of age distribution, 26.00% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.60% ranged from 18 to 24, 28.00% ranged from 25 to 44, 25.50% ranged from 45 to 64, and 13.90% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 102.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $41,825, and the median income for a family was $48,647. Males had a median income of $35,444 versus $21,265 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,070. About 4.00% of families and 6.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.20% of those under age 18 and 8.00% of those age 65 or over.
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...
between the Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
border and the Wabash River
Wabash River
The Wabash River is a river in the Midwestern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near Fort Recovery across northern Indiana to southern Illinois, where it forms the Illinois-Indiana border before draining into the Ohio River, of which it is the largest northern tributary...
in the United States. Before the arrival of non-indigenous settlers in the early 19th century, the area was inhabited by several Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribes. The county
County (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...
was officially established in 1827 and was the 55th county in Indiana. 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....
is Williamsport
Williamsport, Indiana
Williamsport is a town in Washington Township, Warren County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,898 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Warren County and is the largest of the four incorporated towns in the county...
.
According to the 2000 census, the county was home to 8,419 people in 3,219 households; the 2010 population was 8,508. It is one of the most rural counties in the state, with the third-smallest population and the lowest population density at about . The county has four incorporated
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
towns with a total population of about 3,100, as well as many small unincorporated communities. The county is divided into 12 townships
Civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
which provide local services.
Much of the land in the county is given over to agriculture, especially on the open prairie in the northern and western parts; the county's farmland is among the most productive in the state. Nearer the river along the southeastern border, the land has many hills, valleys and tributary streams and is more heavily wooded. Agriculture, manufacturing, government, education and health care each provide substantial portions of the jobs in the county. Four Indiana state roads cross the county, as do two U.S. Routes and one major railroad line.
History
In the centuries before the arrival of European settlers, the area that became Warren County was on the boundary between the MiamiMiami tribe
The Miami are a Native American nation originally found in what is now Indiana, southwest Michigan, and western Ohio. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma is the only federally recognized tribe of Miami Indians in the United States...
and Kickapoo tribes. By the late 18th century, many Miami had moved further south; most of Indiana north of the Wabash was then occupied by the Potawatomi
Potawatomi
The Potawatomi are a Native American people of the upper Mississippi River region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a member of the Algonquian family. In the Potawatomi language, they generally call themselves Bodéwadmi, a name that means "keepers of the fire" and that was applied...
people. The first non-indigenous settler in the area was probably Zachariah Cicott
Zachariah Cicott
Zachariah Cicott was a French-Canadian trader and is believed to have been the first white settler to live permanently in what became Warren County, Indiana...
, a French-Canadian who first traded with the Kickapoo and Potawatomi people around 1802. When General William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
took an army from Vincennes
Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 18,701 at the 2000 census...
to the Battle of Tippecanoe
Battle of Tippecanoe
The Battle of Tippecanoe was fought on November 7, 1811, between United States forces led by Governor William Henry Harrison of the Indiana Territory and Native American warriors associated with the Shawnee leader Tecumseh. Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa were leaders of a confederacy of...
in late 1811, Cicott served as a scout; the trail taken by Harrison's army passed through the area that later became Warren County on its way to and from the battle site in Tippecanoe County
Tippecanoe County, Indiana
Tippecanoe County is a county located in the northwest quadrant of the U.S. state of Indiana. It was created in 1826 from Wabash County. It is part of the Lafayette, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. Following the War of 1812, Cicott resumed his trading on the Wabash; the state of Indiana was established in 1816, and Cicott built a log house in 1817 at the location where he later founded the town of Independence
Independence, Indiana
Independence is a small town in Warren Township, Warren County, Indiana in the United States.- History :A trading post existed at this location as early as 1811. The village was laid out on October 5, 1832 by Zachariah Cicott, a French-Indian trader and scout for General William Henry Harrison, on...
. Other settlers came to the area, but probably not until around 1822.
The county was established on March 1, 1827, by the Indiana General Assembly. It was named for Dr. Joseph Warren
Joseph Warren
Dr. Joseph Warren was an American doctor who played a leading role in American Patriot organizations in Boston in early days of the American Revolution, eventually serving as president of the revolutionary Massachusetts Provincial Congress...
, who was killed in 1775 at the Battle of Bunker Hill
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...
, in which he fought as a private because his commission as a general had not yet taken effect. The short-lived town of Warrenton
Warrenton, Indiana
Warrenton is an extinct town in Warren County, Indiana, and was Warren's original county seat.- History :Warrenton was selected as the Warren County seat in March 1828 by commissioners appointed under the act forming the county...
was the original Warren County seat, chosen by commissioners in March 1828; the next year an act was passed calling for the seat to be relocated, and in June 1829 it was moved to Williamsport.
The first county courthouse was a log house in Warrenton that belonged to (and was occupied by) Enoch Farmer, one of the county's earliest settlers. When the county seat moved to Williamsport, a log house belonging to the town's founder, William Harrison, served this purpose for several years. The first purpose-built courthouse was completed in 1835 at a cost of $2,000; in 1872, it was replaced with a new building that cost $48,000. The third courthouse was built in 1886, in a new section of town that grew around the newly constructed railroad. That building burned in 1907, and the fourth and current Warren County courthouse
Warren County Courthouse (Indiana)
The Warren County Courthouse is a stone building constructed in 1908 in Williamsport, Indiana. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 19, 2008.- History :...
was completed on the same site in 1908 at a cost of $115,000.
As the 19th century progressed, the United States government's Indian removal
Indian Removal
Indian removal was a nineteenth century policy of the government of the United States to relocate Native American tribes living east of the Mississippi River to lands west of the river...
policy pushed Native American tribes west of the Mississippi River. In 1830, the Indian Removal Act
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson on May 28, 1830.The Removal Act was strongly supported in the South, where states were eager to gain access to lands inhabited by the Five Civilized Tribes. In particular, Georgia, the largest state at that time, was involved in...
was signed into law, and though that act did not directly address the Potawatomi people of Indiana, it led to several additional treaties that resulted in their removal. In what came to be known as the Potawatomi Trail of Death
Potawatomi Trail of Death
The Potawatomi Trail of Death was the forced removal by United States forces from September 4 to November 4, 1838, of 859 members of the Potawatomi nation from Twin Lakes near Plymouth, Indiana, to the location of present-day Osawatomie, Kansas, a distance of . Typhoid fever and the stress of the...
, about 860 Potawatomi Indians who had refused to leave were forced to move from Indiana to Kansas. On September 14, 1838, the group camped near Williamsport, and on September 15 they camped in the southwestern part of the county before moving into Illinois. Before reaching their destination in Kansas, over 40 of them had died, many of them children; two children died and were buried at the second Warren County campsite.
When the county was established, the Wabash River
Wabash River
The Wabash River is a river in the Midwestern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near Fort Recovery across northern Indiana to southern Illinois, where it forms the Illinois-Indiana border before draining into the Ohio River, of which it is the largest northern tributary...
was vital to transportation and shipping. Zachariah Cicott traded up and down the river, and cities like Attica
Attica, Indiana
Attica is a city in Logan Township, Fountain County, Indiana, United States. The population was 3,245 at the 2010 census.-History:Attica was laid out by George Hollingsworth and platted by David Stump on March 19, 1825...
, Perrysville
Perrysville, Indiana
Perrysville is a town in Highland Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, United States. The population was 456 at the 2010 census.-History:Perrysville was platted and surveyed in 1825 by James Blair on a bluff on the west side of the Wabash River...
, Baltimore and Williamsport were founded near the river's banks and flourished because of it. In the 1840s, the Wabash and Erie Canal
Wabash and Erie Canal
The Wabash and Erie Canal was a shipping canal that linked the Great Lakes to the Ohio River via an artificial waterway. The canal provided traders with access from the Great Lakes all the way to the Gulf of Mexico...
began to operate and provided even broader shipping opportunities, but the canal favored towns which were on the "right side" of the river; the canal was on the Fountain County
Fountain County, Indiana
Fountain County lies in the western part of the U.S. state of Indiana on the east side of the Wabash River. The county was officially established in 1826 and was the 53rd in Indiana. The county seat is Covington....
side, and towns like Baltimore dwindled as a result. Some towns, such as Williamsport and Perrysville, managed to participate in canal traffic through the use of side-cuts that brought traffic from the canal across the river. When railroads were constructed starting in the 1850s, they in turn began to render the canals obsolete and allowed trade to reach towns that lacked water connections. The canal continued to be used through the early 1870s.
Wabash Railroad
The Wabash Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. It served a large area, including trackage in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri and Ontario. Its primary connections included Chicago, Illinois, Kansas City, Missouri, Detroit,...
) in 1856. The railroad entered the county near Williamsport and was built westward, reaching the western border at State Line City by 1857. West Lebanon was the only other settlement near the railroad's path, but the line bypassed it by about a mile; the town subsequently moved northward to be nearer the station. In 1869 the Indianapolis, Bloomington and Western Railway was built across Mound Township in the southern part of the county. A few years later in 1872, a branch of the Chicago, Danville and Vincennes Railroad
Chicago, Danville and Vincennes Railroad
The Chicago, Danville and Vincennes Railroad was a railroad established in 1865 that served various communities along the eastern border of Illinois...
(known as the "Pumpkin Vine Railroad
Pumpkin Vine Railroad
The Indiana Division or Coal Branch of the Chicago, Danville and Vincennes Railroad was constructed in 1872 from Bismarck, Illinois, across Warren County, Indiana, across the Wabash River near the river town of Baltimore, to Covington in Fountain County...
") was built from Bismarck, Illinois
Bismarck, Illinois
Bismarck is a village in Newell Township, Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the 'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 542 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, southeast through Warren County; it was built specifically to carry coal from the mines south of Covington
Covington, Indiana
Covington is a city located on the western edge of Fountain County, Indiana. The population was 2,645 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Fountain County.-Geography:Covington is located at ....
. A labor riot in the late 1870s stopped the flow of coal, and the rails were removed a few years later. At about this time, in the early 1880s, the Chicago and Indiana Coal Railroad began operating a north–south line through the county. It became part of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad
Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad
The Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad was a Class I railroad that linked Chicago to southern Illinois, St. Louis, and Evansville. Founded in 1877, it grew aggressively and stayed relatively strong throughout the Great Depression and two World Wars before being purchased by the Missouri Pacific...
but was abandoned in 1920 due to financial difficulties; a new company operated the line as the Chicago, Attica and Southern Railroad
Chicago, Attica and Southern Railroad
The Chicago, Attica and Southern Railroad , nicknamed the "Dolly Varden Line", was a railroad linking small towns in west central and northwestern Indiana to the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railway near Momence, Illinois...
starting in 1921, but financial problems affected the new company as well and the rails were removed in 1946. Another line, part of the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
, was built through the area in 1903; locally, it ran northeast from Danville into Warren County, then turned north through the small towns of Sloan and Stewart and continued north into Benton County. In the 1970s it became part of Penn Central, then Conrail
Consolidated Rail Corporation
The Consolidated Rail Corporation, commonly known as Conrail , was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeast U.S. between 1976 and 1999. The federal government created it to take over the potentially profitable lines of bankrupt carriers, including the Penn Central Transportation Company and...
; operations on the line ceased in the 1990s and the tracks were removed, though a portion running north from Stewart remained and became the Bee Line Railroad
Bee Line Railroad
The Bee Line Railroad is a short-line railroad operated by the Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad, serving agricultural communities in northwestern Warren County and southwestern Benton County in Indiana, USA...
which serves the grain processing facility in Stewart.
The Wabash Cannonball was a passenger train that ran on the Wabash Railroad between Detroit, Michigan and Saint Louis, Missouri, starting in 1949. On September 19, 1964, the southbound Cannonball struck a truck loaded with concrete blocks at a crossing in Johnsonville. The driver of the truck was killed instantly, but although the train derailed, no other lives were lost. On the train, the driver and fireman were severely injured when the engine caught fire, and about half of the 50 passengers were injured. Over 1000 feet (304.8 m) of track was torn out, and the damage was estimated at over $500,000. The last run of the Cannonball was in 1969.
After peaking in the late 19th century, the county's population declined during the 20th, in common with much of the rural Midwest. The widespread adoption of the automobile in the 1920s undercut small-town businesses, which were threatened further by the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of the 1930s. World War II and the economic revival of the late 1940s and 1950s drew people to better jobs in growing regional cities, and this further diminished small towns. The population shrank again in the 1980s due largely to the effects of the "farm crisis" of low crop prices, high farmer debt and other economic causes.
The first county fair
County Fair
"County Fair" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Gary Usher for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was originally released as the second track on their 1962 album Surfin' Safari. On November 26th of that year, it was released as the B-side to The Beach Boys' third single, "Ten Little...
involved both Fountain and Warren counties and was held in Independence on September 6 and 7, 1853. In following years, the fair was held in Fountain County, and participation by Warren County farmers diminished. In 1856, farmers in the northern part of the county held a fair just east of Pine Village, and this continued each year through 1864. West Lebanon became the next site of the county fair, and it ran successfully through 1883; the fairgrounds just to the northwest of town were well-developed. Later, the fair was held at the county seat of Williamsport, and this continues through the present day; it is now a 4H fair.
One location in the county, near the small town of Kramer
Kramer, Indiana
Kramer is a small town in Liberty Township, Warren County, Indiana.- History :On November 5, 1885, a post office was established called Cameron Springs, named for its first postmaster William Cameron. On June 12, 1889 the name was changed to Indiana Mineral Springs, and on March 23, 1901 it was...
, once had an international reputation: the Hotel Mudlavia
Hotel Mudlavia
Hotel Mudlavia was a hotel and spa built on the site of a natural spring near the town of Kramer in Warren County, Indiana. The spring was discovered by Samuel Story, a Civil War soldier who, in August 1884, was reputed to have been working in the mud digging a drainage ditch...
. Built in 1890 at a cost of $250,000, it drew guests from around the world to nearby natural springs that were said to have healing qualities. People such as James Whitcomb Riley
James Whitcomb Riley
James Whitcomb Riley was an American writer, poet, and best selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the Hoosier Poet and Children's Poet for his dialect works and his children's poetry respectively...
, John L. Sullivan
John L. Sullivan
John Lawrence Sullivan , also known as the Boston Strong Boy, was recognized as the first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing from February 7, 1881 to 1892, and is generally recognized as the last heavyweight champion of bare-knuckle boxing under the London Prize Ring rules...
and Harry Lauder
Harry Lauder
Sir Henry Lauder , known professionally as Harry Lauder, was an international Scottish entertainer, described by Sir Winston Churchill as "Scotland's greatest ever ambassador!"-Early life:...
are known to have stayed at the hotel, which burned down in 1920. Later, water from the springs was bottled and sold by Indianapolis-based Cameron Springs company, which was acquired by the Perrier Group of America
Perrier
Perrier is a brand of bottled mineral water made from a spring in Vergèze in the Gard département of France. The spring is naturally carbonated...
in 2000 for about $10.5 million. As of 2008 the water was still being sold and was marketed under a variety of names.
Geography
Tippecanoe County, Indiana
Tippecanoe County is a county located in the northwest quadrant of the U.S. state of Indiana. It was created in 1826 from Wabash County. It is part of the Lafayette, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area....
to the east, defines the southeastern border of the county; the terrain here is hilly and wooded areas are common. Fountain County lies across the river. By contrast, the northwest region consists mainly of flat prairie farmland; this continues in Benton County
Benton County, Indiana
Benton County is located along in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Indiana, along the border with Illinois. As of 2010, the county's population was 8,854. It contains six incorporated towns as well as several small unincorporated settlements; it is also divided into 11 townships which...
to the north. Along the western side of the county is the border with Vermilion County
Vermilion County, Illinois
Vermilion County is a county located in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Illinois, between the Indiana border and Champaign County. It was established in 1826 and was the 45th of Illinois' 102 counties...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. The small southern border is shared with the north end of the similarly named Indiana county of Vermillion
Vermillion County, Indiana
Vermillion County lies in western Indiana between the Illinois border and the Wabash River. It was officially established in 1824 and was the 50th Indiana county to be formed. It is included in the Terre Haute, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Newport.According to the 2010...
. The state capital 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...
lies about 70 miles (112.7 km) to the southeast.
The highest free-falling waterfall in the state, Williamsport Falls
Williamsport Falls
Williamsport Falls is a waterfall near the center of the town of Williamsport where Fall Creek flows over a sandstone ledge, in Warren County, Indiana. With a height of , it is the highest free-falling waterfall in the state of Indiana....
, is located in downtown Williamsport; a stream named Fall Creek flows through the town and falls 90 feet (27.4 m) over a sandstone ledge less than 1000 feet (304.8 m) from the county courthouse. Northeast of Independence is the Black Rock Barrens Nature Preserve, a rare siltstone
Siltstone
Siltstone is a sedimentary rock which has a grain size in the silt range, finer than sandstone and coarser than claystones.- Description :As its name implies, it is primarily composed of silt sized particles, defined as grains 1/16 - 1/256 mm or 4 to 8 on the Krumbein phi scale...
glade area that along with the adjacent Weiler-Leopold Nature Reserve supports a diversity of flora including sessile trillium
Trillium sessile
Trillium sessile is a perennial spring wildflower native to the central part of the eastern United States and the Ozarks. It is a small trillium . Toadshade can be distinguished from other trilliums by its single foul smelling, stalkless, flower nestled in the middle of its three leaves...
, phlox
Phlox
Phlox is a genus of 67 species of perennial and annual plants found mostly in North America in diverse habitats from alpine tundra to open woodland and prairie. Some flower in spring, others in summer and autumn....
and wild hyacinth
Camassia
Camassia is a genus of six species native to western North America, from southern British Columbia to northern California, and east to Utah, Wyoming and Montana...
in the moist lowlands and serviceberry, rue anemone
Thalictrum thalictroides
Thalictrum thalictroides is a spring ephemeral plant in the buttercup family, prized for its white to pink flowers, native to woodland in eastern North America.-Description:...
, birdsfoot violet
Viola pedata
Viola pedata is an ornamental plant in the Violaceae family. Monophyletic in stature, this violet, also known as the "mountain pansy" is endemic to eastern North America, where it favors well drained, acidic soils in full to partial sun environments...
and yellow pimpernel
Yellow pimpernel
Lysimachia nemorum is a flowering plant of the genus Lysimachia in the family Myrsinaceae....
on the drier slopes. Big Pine Creek
Big Pine Creek (Indiana)
Big Pine Creek is a creek in northwestern Indiana, USA. It begins in Round Grove Township in southwestern White County and flows generally southward through Benton and Warren counties before meeting the Wabash River near the town of Attica...
, the county's largest waterway after the Wabash River, is designated by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources as a scenic canoe trail and passes near Fall Creek Gorge Nature Preserve, an area of cascades and potholes.
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 366.4 square miles (949 km²), of which 364.68 square miles (944.5 km²) (or 99.53%) is land and 1.72 square miles (4.5 km²) (or 0.47%) is water. Elevations in the county range from 480 feet (146.3 m) above sea level where the Wabash River enters Vermillion County to 830 feet (253 m) in northeastern Prairie Township. The landscape consists mostly of flat or gently sloping moraine
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
overlaying silty and loamy glacial till, except along the Wabash River where sand, gravel, sandstone and shale are exposed. Various forms of silt loam
Loam
Loam is soil composed of sand, silt, and clay in relatively even concentration . Loam soils generally contain more nutrients and humus than sandy soils, have better infiltration and drainage than silty soils, and are easier to till than clay soils...
constitute most of the county's soil and are conducive to agriculture. Forests cover about 14% of the county, mainly around major waterways, and consist principally of deciduous hardwoods among which maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
–beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
and oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
–hickory
Hickory
Trees in the genus Carya are commonly known as hickory, derived from the Powhatan language of Virginia. The genus includes 17–19 species of deciduous trees with pinnately compound leaves and big nuts...
forests are the most common. The only coal mines in the county are located in the southeastern part of Steuben Township, near the Wabash River.
When the county was formed in 1827, it was divided into four townships
Civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
: Medina
Medina Township, Warren County, Indiana
Medina Township is one of twelve townships in Warren County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 452.-History:Medina Township was one of the original four created when the county was organized in 1827.-Geography:...
, Warren
Warren Township, Warren County, Indiana
Warren Township is one of twelve townships in Warren County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 754.-History:Warren Township was one of the original four created when the county was organized in 1827.-Geography:...
, Pike
Pike Township, Warren County, Indiana
Pike Township is one of twelve townships in Warren County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 1,185.-History:Pike Township was one of the four original townships in the county, formed on November 6, 1827.-Geography:...
and Mound
Mound Township, Warren County, Indiana
Mound Township is one of twelve townships in Warren County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 438.-History:Mound Township was one of the original four created when the county was organized in 1827.-Geography:...
. Over the following decades, many changes were made to the township borders and eight new townships were created. Pine
Pine Township, Warren County, Indiana
Pine Township is one of twelve townships in Warren County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 436.-History:Pine Township was established in March 1830. There were originally four townships in the county; Pine and Washington were the first two new townships to be...
and Washington
Washington Township, Warren County, Indiana
Washington Township is one of twelve townships in Warren County, Indiana, USA. It is the most populous township in the county; its population is 2,351 according to the 2000 census, with 1,935 of those living in Williamsport...
were the first of these, in March 1830; Steuben
Steuben Township, Warren County, Indiana
Steuben Township is one of twelve townships in Warren County, Indiana, USA. It was established in 1834. As of the 2000 census, its population was 427. It contains no incorporated towns and is largely agricultural.-History:...
followed in 1834. Liberty
Liberty Township, Warren County, Indiana
Liberty Township is one of twelve townships in Warren County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 850.-Geography:Liberty Township covers an area of ; of this, or 0.04 percent is water. It contains the Potholes at Fall Creek Gorge, a scenic natural location owned and...
was formed in 1843, Adams
Adams Township, Warren County, Indiana
-External links:* *...
in 1848, then Jordan
Jordan Township, Warren County, Indiana
Jordan Township is one of twelve townships in Warren County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 254. It is almost entirely agricultural and contains no incorporated towns.-History:...
in 1850. Kent
Kent Township, Warren County, Indiana
Kent Township is one of twelve townships in Warren County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 421.-History:Kent Township was created in September 1864 from a section of Mound Township.-Geography:...
and Prairie
Prairie Township, Warren County, Indiana
-External links:* *...
were the last to be created, in 1864. As of 2000, Prairie Township, at 6.1 PD/sqmi, has the lowest population density; it covers more area than any of the other townships—nearly 50 square miles (129.5 km²)—and contains no incorporated towns. The highest density is in Washington Township, which has 123 PD/sqmi; it includes Williamsport, the county's largest town, and covers only about 20 square miles (51.8 km²).
There are four incorporated towns in the county. The largest is Williamsport, which is on the western banks of the Wabash River in the eastern part of the county, just downstream of Attica (which is on the east side of the river in Fountain County); in 2000, its population was 1,935—nearly one-fourth of the county's total. West Lebanon
West Lebanon, Indiana
West Lebanon is a town in Pike Township, Warren County, Indiana, United States. The population was 723 at the 2010 census.-History:West Lebanon was laid out and platted in the fall of 1830 by Ebenezer Purviance, John G. Jemison and Andrew Fleming, and consisted of 64 lots...
is about 5 miles (8 km) west of Williamsport on State Road 28, with a population of 793. The town of Pine Village
Pine Village, Indiana
Pine Village is a town in Adams Township, Warren County, Indiana, United States. The population was 217 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Pine Village is located at the intersection of State Road 55 and State Road 26, near Big Pine Creek...
lies about 11 miles (17.7 km) to the north of Williamsport where State Road 55 intersects State Road 26, near the northern edge of the county; 255 people live in Pine Village. State Line City
State Line City, Indiana
State Line City is a town in Kent Township, Warren County, Indiana, United States, located along the state's border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 143...
is in the southwestern part of the county and shares its western border with the Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
state line. A small Illinois community named Illiana
Illiana, Illinois
Illiana is an unincorporated community in Newell Township, Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. In this area, State Line Road runs along the border between Illinois and Indiana; Illiana is just across the road from the town of State Line City in Warren County in Indiana. Its name is based...
lies immediately on the west side of the county road which runs along the state border (and which is also a street between the two communities). State Line City is the smallest of the towns, with a population of 141.
Hedrick, Indiana
Hedrick is a small town in Jordan Township, Warren County, Indiana.- History :The town of Hedrick began on 31 July 1881 with its platting by locals Parmenas G. Smith and G. W. Compton. The first house was built by John Hendricks and the first store opened by Zarse & Ahrens. The town also gained a...
, Pence
Pence, Indiana
Pence is a small town in Jordan Township, Warren County, Indiana.- History :Pence was founded in September 1902 by Frank R. Pence, who purchased of land for the purpose. In 1903, Pence became the smallest town in the United States to have a central water system...
and Stewart
Stewart, Indiana
Stewart is a small town in Jordan Township, Warren County, Indiana. It sits at the south end of the short Bee Line Railroad and consists of a single residence and a grain elevator operated by the Stewart Grain Company...
are in Jordan Township; Stewart consists of a grain processing facility and a single residence. In Steuben Township, Johnsonville
Johnsonville, Indiana
Johnsonville is a small town in Steuben Township, Warren County, Indiana.- History :Johnsonville was platted July 8, 1874 by John R. Johnson, Senior, near Sumner Station. A post office was established there on December 2, 1875, with George W. Johnson as postmaster...
has a church and a handful of residences. Marshfield
Marshfield, Indiana
Marshfield is a small town in Steuben Township, Warren County, Indiana, USA.- History :The town of Marshfield was platted on May 22, 1857, and named for Marshfield, Massachusetts, the home of statesman Daniel Webster. A post office was established on April 6, 1857, which operated until 1989. In...
has an automotive body repair shop and a grain elevator as well as a church. Independence
Independence, Indiana
Independence is a small town in Warren Township, Warren County, Indiana in the United States.- History :A trading post existed at this location as early as 1811. The village was laid out on October 5, 1832 by Zachariah Cicott, a French-Indian trader and scout for General William Henry Harrison, on...
, platted in 1832, is located on the site of a trading post set up by Zachariah Cicott, who is buried in a cemetery just north of the town; it is located in Warren Township along with the small settlement of Winthrop
Winthrop, Indiana
Winthrop is a small town in Warren Township, Warren County, Indiana.-History:Winthrop was platted on March 3, 1884 by farmer Jacob Morgan Rhode ; the name probably comes from a personal name. A north/south line of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad known as the "Coal Road" served the town...
. Liberty Township has three unincorporated communities: Carbondale
Carbondale, Indiana
Carbondale is an unincorporated community in Liberty Township, Warren County, Indiana, United States.-History:This place had a post office and was known as Clark's Cross Roads at least as early as 1846; later it was called Free Hall. The discovery of coal in the town's vicinity led to the current...
, Judyville
Judyville, Indiana
Judyville is a small town in Liberty Township, Warren County, Indiana.- History :Judyville's founder John Finley Judy, born in Ohio on 18 March 1856, arrived in Warren County in 1867 with his parents Skillman and Sarah. John attended high school in Attica and afterwards taught school for several...
and Kramer
Kramer, Indiana
Kramer is a small town in Liberty Township, Warren County, Indiana.- History :On November 5, 1885, a post office was established called Cameron Springs, named for its first postmaster William Cameron. On June 12, 1889 the name was changed to Indiana Mineral Springs, and on March 23, 1901 it was...
(near the site of the Mudlavia Hotel). Several townships contain only a single settlement. Foster
Foster, Indiana
Foster is a small unincorporated town in Mound Township, Warren County, Indiana.-History:Foster was platted April 25, 1893 on land donated by William R. Foster, an early settler. At one time the town had a post office, blacksmith shop, railroad depot, two stores, a stockyard, a threshing machine,...
is the only one in Mound Township and includes a motel along with a several houses. In the northeast corner of the county, Green Hill
Green Hill, Indiana
Green Hill is a small unincorporated town in Medina Township, Warren County, Indiana. Founded in the year of 1832 under a different name, and established under its current name in 1869.- History :...
is Medina Township's only settlement. Tab
Tab, Indiana
Tab is a small town in Prairie Township, Warren County, Indiana, USA.- History :The town was platted on November 25, 1905 by Harrison "Tab" Goodwine, who donated land for the town and the railroad. A post office was established in Tab on April 8, 1907 and closed on April 30, 1955...
is the only settlement in Prairie Township; most of this township is agricultural, and a large grain processing facility is Tab's only remaining business. Pine Township's only community is Rainsville
Rainsville, Indiana
Rainsville is a small town in Pine Township, Warren County, Indiana.-History:Rainsville was platted on April 16, 1833 by Isaac Rains, who had built a mill here the previous year; the town was named for him....
.
Some settlements did not survive. The river town of Baltimore thrived and was a major center of trade until the river was overshadowed by the railroad for purposes of trade and transportation; a single house, built long after the town's heyday, is all that remains. Warrenton had a promising start as the first county seat, but it began to wane after the seat moved, and today no trace is left. Chesapeake
Chesapeake, Indiana
Chesapeake was the first town in Steuben Township, Warren County, Indiana, which was formed in 1834. It was located about two miles southeast of present-day town of Marshfield and was the site of the first meetings of the township trustees in the 1830s. County Agent Luther Tillotson lived south...
was the first settlement in Steuben Township, but it faded away so early that even an 1883 county history has little to say on the subject. Brisco
Brisco, Indiana
Brisco was a small town in Pine Township, Warren County, Indiana. It began in the 1850s and gained a one-room school in 1856, which operated until 1929. In 1930 the school building became a general store run for more than 50 years by local resident Jim Marquess...
was never large, though it did have a school house from the 1850s through the 1920s. It likewise disappeared by the end of the 20th century. Chatterton
Chatterton, Indiana
Chatterton was a small town in Adams Township, Warren County, Indiana. It was founded in 1896 and included a school, a general store and a post office that operated from 1900 to 1906. Though it has since dwindled away completely, the location of the town still persists on county maps...
had a school, a store and a post office, but it has disappeared even though the name continues to appear on maps. Other communities were planned but did not develop. Dresser
Dresser, Indiana
Dresser was a small town in Steuben Township, Warren County, Indiana, United States. It was founded shortly before the turn of the 20th century and consisted of several residences and a post office. The post office operated only from 1899 to 1903...
was never much more than a collection of houses, though it did have a post office for a few years around the turn of the 20th century. The settlements of Kickapoo
Kickapoo, Indiana
Kickapoo was a small town in Warren Township, Warren County, Indiana. Platted by Lewis Davisson on February 2, 1885, the town never grew substantially and is described in a 1913 history as having "a small population".-Geography:...
, Locust Grove
Locust Grove, Indiana
Locust Grove was a small town in Prairie Township, Warren County, Indiana, located three miles northeast of Tab. A 1913 history describes the town's population as "less than a hundred", but all that remains at the site is the Locust Grove Church, Locust Grove Cemetery and a few...
, Sloan
Sloan, Indiana
Sloan is an extinct town that was located on the border of Jordan Township and Steuben Township in Warren County, Indiana, less than a mile east of the town of Hedrick.- History :...
and Walnut Grove
Walnut Grove, Indiana
Walnut Grove was a small town in Prairie Township, Warren County, Indiana, located three miles east of Tab. A 1913 history describes the town's population as about 50.-Geography:...
were similar in this respect. Point Pleasant
Point Pleasant, Indiana
Point Pleasant was a small village in Pine Township, Warren County, Indiana, located about a mile and a half southwest of Rainsville near the confluence of Big Pine Creek and Mud Pine Creek, a site currently known as Rocky Ford. It was laid out by one John H...
never developed much beyond the founder's residence and a liquor store, and was later described as a "paper town".
Climate and weather
Warren County is in the humid continental climateHumid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
region of the United States along with most of Indiana. Its Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
is Dfa, meaning that it is cold, has no dry season, and has a hot summer. In recent years, average temperatures in Williamsport have ranged from a low of 13 °F (-10.6 °C) in January to a high of 84 °F (28.9 °C) in July, although a record low of -24 °F was recorded in January 1999 and a record high of 99 °F (37.2 °C) was recorded in July 1995. Average monthly precipitation has ranged from 1.59 inches (4 cm) inches in February to 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) inches in June.
On April 17, 1922, a severe tornado touched down in Warren County. The town of Hedrick in southern Jordan Township was almost entirely destroyed, along with other buildings in the vicinity of the town, and several people were killed. From 1950 through 2009, ten tornadoes were reported in Warren County; none resulted in any deaths or injuries, but the total estimated property damage was over $3 million.
Warren County was affected by the Great Blizzard of 1978
Great Blizzard of 1978
The Great Blizzard of 1978 was a historic blizzard which struck the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes from January 25–27, 1978. The 28.28 inches barometric pressure measurement recorded in Cleveland, Ohio was the lowest non-tropical atmospheric pressure ever recorded in the mainland United States...
which covered several states and was the worst blizzard on record for Indiana; in late January, a record of snowfall of over 20 inches (50.8 cm) fell locally, and high winds resulted in snowdrifts as high as 10 feet (3 m). Local schools were closed for up to seventeen days, and some residents were snowbound for as many as five days.
Transportation
There are no interstate highways in Warren County, although Interstate 74Interstate 74
Interstate 74 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western end is at an intersection with Interstate 80 in Davenport, Iowa; the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an intersection with Interstate 75 in Cincinnati, Ohio...
passes less than half a mile (less than one kilometer) from the southern border. About 20 miles (32.2 km) of federal highways
United States Numbered Highways
The system of United States Numbered Highways is an integrated system of roads and highways in the United States numbered within a nationwide grid...
and 86 miles (138.4 km) of state highways cross the county, as do about 550 miles (885.1 km) of county roads. Of these, roughly a third are paved and the rest are topped with crushed gravel or packed dirt.
U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 41 is a north–south United States Highway that runs from Miami, Florida to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, was U.S...
enters from Benton County to the north and runs through the center of Warren County, veering to the east and crossing the Wabash River between Williamsport and Attica before continuing south. passes through the far southern part of the county on its route between Covington and Danville, Illinois
Danville, Illinois
Danville is a city in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is the principal city of the'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Danville and Vermilion County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 32,467. It is the county seat of...
.
Oxford, Indiana
Oxford is a town in Oak Grove Township, Benton County, Indiana. The population was 1,162 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lafayette, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
in the north to Attica in the south; State Road 26 continues east through Lafayette
Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...
and on to the Ohio border. Likewise, State Road 28
Indiana State Road 28
State Road 28 is an east–west road in central Indiana in the United States that crosses the entire state from east to west, covering a distance of about and passing about to the north of the state capitol of Indianapolis.-Route description:...
runs across the state from Illinois to Ohio; it connects West Lebanon with Williamsport and continues east through Attica.
The four-lane divided State Road 63
Indiana State Road 63
State Road 63 in the U. S. state of Indiana is a north–south route in the western portion of the state. Until mid-2008, it covered a distance of just over , but now is a discontinuous route. For , from the city of Terre Haute until it rejoins U.S. Route 41 near Carbondale, it is a four-lane...
runs south from its northern terminus at U.S. Route 41 near the center of the county; both reach Terre Haute
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
about 60 miles (96.6 km) to the south, but while Route 41 crosses to the east side of the river, State Road 63 remains on the west side. Construction on the current State Road 63, which replaced the older two-lane road and streamlined its route, began in the late 1960s and was completed by the early 1980s. The current two-lane is a part of the original route of State Road 63 and forms a 13 miles (20.9 km) business route that leaves its parent route, passes through West Lebanon and along the river, then rejoins its parent near the south edge of the county. A small portion of lies in the far northwestern corner of the county, following the county and state border north from State Road 26 for only about 1 miles (1.6 km) before leaving Warren County and entering Benton County on its way through the small town of Ambia
Ambia, Indiana
Ambia is a town in Hickory Grove Township, Benton County, Indiana, United States. The population was 239 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lafayette, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
.
A Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
route connecting Danville, Illinois, with the city of Lafayette
Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...
is the county's busiest rail line, carrying about 45 freight trains each day. It enters Warren County at State Line City and passes northeast through the communities of Johnsonville, Marshfield, West Lebanon and Williamsport before exiting the county at Attica. Two short-line railroads operate less frequently. The Bee Line Railroad
Bee Line Railroad
The Bee Line Railroad is a short-line railroad operated by the Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad, serving agricultural communities in northwestern Warren County and southwestern Benton County in Indiana, USA...
is used principally for agricultural transportation and runs approximately 10 miles (16.1 km) from Stewart north through Tab and into southern Benton County where it joins the Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern
Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad
The Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad Company is a Class III railroad serving agricultural communities in east-central Illinois and west-central Indiana.-History:...
. The 6 miles (9.7 km) Vermilion Valley Railroad serves the Flex-N-Gate factory near Covington and runs west from the plant through the town of Foster to meet a CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
line in Danville.
The nearest airport is the small Vermilion Regional Airport, located northeast of Danville, Illinois. Purdue University Airport
Purdue University Airport
Purdue University Airport is a public-use airport in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States. Owned by Purdue University, the airport is southwest of the central business district of Lafayette, in West Lafayette...
is Indiana's second busiest airport and is operated by Purdue University in neighboring Tippecanoe County to the northeast. Indianapolis International Airport
Indianapolis International Airport
Indianapolis International Airport is a public airport located seven miles southwest of the central business district of Indianapolis, a city in Marion County, Indiana, United States. It is owned and operated by the Indianapolis Airport Authority...
is located about 90 miles (144.8 km) to the southeast.
Economy
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
was planted and 93100 acres (37,676.3 ha) acres harvested, yielding an average of 187 bushels per acre for a total corn production of 17.4 million bushels. Approximately 72000 acres (29,137.4 ha) of soybeans were planted, yielding 55 bushels per acre for a total of 3.96 million bushels. Farmers also grew small amounts of hay
Hay
Hay is grass, legumes or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs...
(3700 acres (1,497.3 ha)) and winter wheat
Winter wheat
Winter wheat is a type of wheat that is planted from September to December in the Northern Hemisphere. Winter wheat sprouts before freezing occurs, then becomes dormant until the soil warms in the spring. Winter wheat needs a few weeks of cold before being able to flower, however persistent snow...
, and held 3,600 head of cattle. Roughly 86% of the county's 234413 acres (94,863.7 ha) is cropland.
About 14% of the labor force works in the government sector for state and county services and schools; in the non-government sector, manufacturing is the largest industry at about 17% of the labor force. The county has several industrial employers. Flex-N-Gate, an automobile parts assembly and warehouse facility, occupies the 750 acres (303.5 ha) former Olin factory complex west of Covington. In Williamsport, industry includes TMF Center, which manufactures parts for construction equipment and trucking; GL Technologies, which procures industrial tooling; and Kuri-Tec, which manufactures industrial hoses and accessories. Tru-Flex Metal Hose in West Lebanon has made stripwound and corrugated flexible metal hose since 1962; Dyna-Fab, also in West Lebanon, specializes in metal stampings and weldments. St. Vincent Hospital and a nursing home in Williamsport are also important local employers; 9.8% of the county's jobs relate to health care and social services.
Larger local economies in the more populous counties to the east and west offer additional employment and commerce, particularly in the cities of Lafayette and West Lafayette in Tippecanoe County and the city of Danville in Vermilion County, Illinois.
Education and health care
The county's four public schools are administered by the Metropolitan School District of Warren CountyMetropolitan School District of Warren County
The Metropolitan School District of Warren County administers the one high school/middle school and three elementary schools in Warren County, Indiana. Its offices are located in the county seat of Williamsport...
. There is one junior–senior school in the system: Seeger Memorial Junior-Senior High School
Seeger Memorial Junior-Senior High School
Seeger Memorial Junior-Senior High School is the single high school serving Warren County, Indiana, and is located a mile and a half north of the town of West Lebanon. It is administered by the Metropolitan School District of Warren County in Williamsport...
north of West Lebanon, which was built in 1957 as part of the school consolidation effort. Seeger had an enrollment of 634 students during the 2009–10 school year and graduated 90 students the previous year. Warren Central Elementary School is co-located with Seeger and served 310 students during the 2009–10 school year, while Williamsport Elementary School served 182 students and Pine Village Elementary School served 131 students.
There are no colleges or universities within Warren County, but there are several in nearby counties. Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue 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...
is a major undergraduate and graduate land-grant university
Land-grant university
Land-grant universities are institutions of higher education in the United States designated by each state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890....
in West Lafayette, approximately 20 miles (32.2 km) northeast in Tippecanoe County. The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, another major research land-grant university, is about 50 miles (80.5 km) to the west. Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana
Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana
Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana is Indiana's community college system, encompassing 24 campuses in 14 regions. The community college system now has more than 165,000 students...
has 23 campuses throughout the state; the closest to Warren County is in Lafayette. Danville Area Community College
Danville Area Community College
Danville Area Community College is a public two-year community college located in Danville, Illinois. DACC was founded in 1946 and has grown into an independent college serving about 5000 students per year in over 1500 unique courses...
is a public two-year college located in neighboring Vermilion County, Illinois, about 20 miles (32.2 km) southwest of Williamsport.
The towns of Williamsport and West Lebanon both have public libraries. The Williamsport-Washington Township Public Library
Williamsport-Washington Township Public Library
The Williamsport-Washington Township Public Library in Williamsport, Washington Township, Warren County, Indiana was established in 1914 in a borrowed space in a downtown office building...
was built in 2002 and replaced the town's 1917 Carnegie library
Carnegie library
A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...
; the West Lebanon-Pike Township Public Library
West Lebanon-Pike Township Public Library
The West Lebanon-Pike Township Public Library in West Lebanon, Indiana, United States, is a Carnegie library serving southwestern Warren County. Its original brick-and-limestone building was constructed in 1916 using a $7,500 gift from Andrew Carnegie...
is housed in the original 1916 Carnegie building, which was expanded in 2006.
The county's single hospital is St. Vincent Williamsport Hospital
St. Vincent Williamsport Hospital
St. Vincent Williamsport Hospital is an acute care hospital in Williamsport, Indiana, operated by Indianapolis-based St. Vincent Health. It has the distinction of being the smallest hospital in the state.-History:...
, a 16-bed acute care facility operated by Indianapolis-based St. Vincent Health
St. Vincent Health
A member of Ascension Health, the USA’s largest not-for-profit and Catholic Healthcare System, St.Vincent Health is Indiana's largest healthcare employer, with 17 health ministries serving 45 counties in central Indiana.-Facilities:...
. The hospital includes a 24-hour emergency medical service
Emergency medical services
Emergency medical services are a type of emergency service dedicated to providing out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient, or the medical practitioner, believes constitutes a medical emergency...
and ambulance service. Williamsport also has a nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
, "The Waters of Williamsport", a 96-bed facility that provides health care and rehabilitation services primarily for seniors.
Notable people
George D. Wagner
George Day Wagner was an Indiana politician, farmer, and soldier, serving as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. His controversial actions at the Battle of Franklin in 1864 overshadowed his positive performance earlier in the war.-Early life and career:Wagner was born in...
was raised on a farm near Green Hill in Medina Township, where his family moved when he was four years old. As an adult he became a prosperous farmer; in 1856 he was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives, and he later served in the Indiana Senate. He fought in the Civil War on the Union side and was promoted to Brigadier General in 1863. After the war, he moved to Williamsport and practiced law; he died in 1869 at age 40 and is buried in Armstrong Cemetery north of Green Hill, near the farm where he was raised.
James Frank Hanly was born in Champaign County, Illinois
Champaign County, Illinois
Champaign County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 201,081, which is an increase of 11.9% from 179,669 in 2000.. It is the 10th most populous county in Illinois...
in 1863. He moved to Warren County in 1879 and worked as a school teacher from 1881 to 1889, when he joined a local law office. He entered politics and served as Governor of Indiana from 1905 to 1909. He was a strong supporter of prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
and lectured widely on the subject after his time as Governor. While traveling to such a lecture in 1920, he died in an automobile accident in Ohio and is buried at Hillside Cemetery on the northeast side of Williamsport.
Albert Lee Stephens, Sr.
Albert Lee Stephens, Sr.
Albert Lee Stephens, Sr. was a United States federal Judge in California for thirty years....
was born in State Line City in 1874. He studied law in California and set up a private practice there, and later served in several legal positions before becoming a judge in 1919. In 1935 he was nominated by Franklin D. Roosevelt to serve as a United States District Court judge in California. Two years later Roosevelt nominated him to a new seat as judge in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and in 1957 he became chief judge. He died while still serving in 1965, at age 91.
Vernon Burge
Vernon Burge
Vernon Lee Burge was an aviation pioneer—the first American enlisted man to be certified as a military pilot. After ten years as an enlisted man, Burge was commissioned during World War I and served the next 25 years as an officer....
attended school in West Lebanon, where his father worked as a blacksmith. After graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army in 1907 and was assigned to the Balloon Attachment of the Signal Corps. He later became part of the first United States military aviation unit, and in 1912 he became the first American enlisted man to be certified as a military pilot.
Like George Wagner, Donald E. Williams
Donald E. Williams
Captain Donald Edward Williams is a former NASA astronaut. He has logged a total of 287 hours and 35 minutes in space....
grew up in Green Hill. He studied mechanical engineering at Purdue University, served as a pilot during the Vietnam War, then as a test pilot, and became a NASA astronaut in 1979; he flew on two Space Shuttle missions in the 1980s.
Stephanie White-McCarty
Stephanie White
Stephanie White-McCarty was a basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association. As an intercollegiate athlete, she was named the winner of the Wade Trophy in 1999, which recognizes the top female basketball player in the nation.White was the 1995 Indiana Miss Basketball and was...
attended Seeger Memorial High School and was named 1995 Indiana Miss Basketball after setting a state scoring record while playing on the Seeger team. She went on to be part of Purdue University's first NCAA women's basketball championship team in 1999, then began a five-year career in the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
.
Media
The first newspaper in the county was The Wabash Commercial, printed in Williamsport starting in the 1850s. A new owner changed the name to The Warren Republican in 1854, the same year that the Republican Party was formed. It had several different owners until 1870; it was then published by a single owner for the next 40 years. Another paper called The Warren Review was started in 1891 and also had several owners until the two papers combined in 1914 as The Review Republican, which is now billed as "Warren County's only newspaper". It is now owned by Community Media Group which produces newspapers and other print distribution products in six states. West Lebanon also had several newspapers starting around the time of the Civil War. The most recent was The Gazette and was printed from the late 1800s into the early 1900s; before this there were several other papers printed under several different names as owners changed. As of 1912, Pine Village had a newspaper called the Sentinal-News.The nearest major television market area is based in Indianapolis. The smaller Lafayette market area is closer and includes several broadcast stations that can be received in much of Warren County; the Champaign, Illinois market area is closer to the southwestern portions of the county and is also in broadcast range. There are no radio stations based in Warren County, but several nearby areas have AM and FM stations that are in broadcast range. This includes Lafayette and Terre Haute in Indiana, and Danville and Champaign-Urbana in Illinois.
Government
The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of IndianaConstitution of Indiana
There have been two Constitutions of the State of Indiana. The first constitution was created when the Territory of Indiana sent forty-three delegates to a constitutional convention on June 10, 1816 to establish a constitution for the proposed State of Indiana after the United States Congress had...
and the Indiana Code
Indiana Code
The Indiana Code is the code of laws for the US State of Indiana. The contents are the codification of the all the laws currently in effect within Indiana...
. The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms and 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. In 2010, the county budgeted approximately $2.2 million for the district's schools and $2.8 million for other county operations and services, for a total annual budget of approximately $5 million.
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 day-to-day functions of the county government.
The county maintains a small claims court
Small claims court
Small-claims courts have limited jurisdiction to hear civil cases between private litigants. Courts authorized to try small claims may also have other judicial functions, and the name by which such a court is known varies by jurisdiction; it may be known as a county or magistrate's court...
that can handle some 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 elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court
Circuit court
Circuit court is the name of court systems in several common law jurisdictions.-History:King Henry II instituted the custom of having judges ride around the countryside each year to hear appeals, rather than forcing everyone to bring their appeals to London...
.
The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
, coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
, auditor, treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
, recorder
Recorder of deeds
Recorder of deeds is a government office tasked with maintaining public records and documents, especially records relating to real estate ownership that provide persons other than the owner of a property with real rights over that property.-Background:...
, surveyor
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
and circuit court clerk
Court clerk
A court clerk is an officer of the court whose responsibilities include maintaining the records of a court. Another duty is to administer oaths to witnesses, jurors, and grand jurors...
. 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
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
affiliations and be residents of the county.
Each of the townships has a trustee who administers rural fire protection and ambulance service, provides poor relief and manages cemetery care, among other duties. The trustee is assisted in these duties by a three-member township board. The trustees and board members are elected to four-year terms.
Based on 2000 census results, Warren County is part of Indiana's 8th congressional district
Indiana's 8th congressional district
Indiana's 8th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Indiana. Based in Southwest and west central Indiana, the district is anchored in Evansville and also includes Terre Haute, Vincennes and Washington....
. Most of the county is in the 38th Indiana Senate
Indiana Senate
The Indiana Senate is the upper house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The Senate is composed of 50 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. Senators serve four-year terms without term limits...
district; the exceptions are Warren and Washington townships, which are in the 23rd. The western portion of the county is in the 42nd Indiana House of Representatives
Indiana House of Representatives
The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House members serve two-year terms without term limits...
district; the eastern townships of Adams, Medina and Warren are in the 26th.
Demographics
As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 8,419 people, 3,219 households, and 2,423 families residing in the county. The population densityPopulation 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 23 PD/sqmi. There were 3,477 housing units at an average density of 10 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 99.09% white, 0.08% black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.07% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.44% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 19.2% were German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, 15.7% were American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 10.1% were Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
and 9.6% were English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
.
There were 3,219 households, of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.90% were married couples living together, 6.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.70% were non-families. 21.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.98.
In terms of age distribution, 26.00% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.60% ranged from 18 to 24, 28.00% ranged from 25 to 44, 25.50% ranged from 45 to 64, and 13.90% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 102.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $41,825, and the median income for a family was $48,647. Males had a median income of $35,444 versus $21,265 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,070. About 4.00% of families and 6.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.20% of those under age 18 and 8.00% of those age 65 or over.