York Township, Steuben County, Indiana
Encyclopedia
York Township is one of twelve townships
in Steuben County
, Indiana
, USA
. As of the 2000 census
, its population was 670.
(This list is based on USGS data and may include former settlements.)
Indians.
The first recorded white settler in York Township was Fayette Barron, who built a homestead at what would become Metz in 1836. The following year saw the arrival of the Powers families, who settled in the northwest sections of the township. Two Powers brothers had scouted the area the year before, and now brought six families on a long journey from New York state.
In 1879, the Powers families and neighbors built what is now known as the Powers Church. The land for a nondenominational church (hence its other name "Free Church") had been donated in 1839 by Clark Powers, head of one of the original Powers families. The last regular services were held at the church in the 1920s. The church was restored into 1976 and added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1983.
The unincorporated village of Metz reached its heyday during the late 19th and early 20th century. At one point or another it boasted a sawmill, a hotel, physicians, an undertaker, and several of the more typical retail shops. In 1919, the York township schools were consolidated with those of Richland Township
into the Metz school. This school, with students from kindergarten through high school, operated for 40 years, until it was closed in 1959, a victim of falling enrollment.
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,...
in Steuben County
Steuben County, Indiana
Steuben County is a county located in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 34,185. The county seat is Angola...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, its population was 670.
Geography
York Township covers an area of 22.29 square miles (57.7 km²). The streams of Hanselman Branch and West Branch Fish Creek run through this township.Unincorporated towns
- Berlien
- Courtney Corner
- Eastpoint Terminal
- MetzMetz, IndianaMetz is an unincorporated town in York Township, Steuben County, Indiana.-Geography:Metz is located at at the intersection of roads 800 E and 200 S, at .-History:In 1836, Fayette Barron was the first settler at the crossroads that would become Metz....
- Page
- York
(This list is based on USGS data and may include former settlements.)
Major highways
-
Indiana Toll RoadIndiana Toll RoadThe Indiana Toll Road, officially the Indiana East–West Toll Road, is a toll road that runs for east–west across northern Indiana from the Illinois state line to the Ohio state line...
(Interstate 80Interstate 80 in IndianaIn the U.S. state of Indiana, Interstate 80 consists entirely of the following two routes:* The Borman Expressway, from the Illinois state line to Lake Station, Indiana, running concurrently with Interstate 94....
and Interstate 90) -
U.S. Route 20U.S. Route 20 in IndianaU.S. Route 20 in Indiana is a main east–west highway that is parallel to the Indiana Toll Road. The western terminus of US 20 is at the Illinois state line and the eastern terminus is at the Ohio state line. US 20 through Whiting, East Chicago, and Gary is concurrent with...
History
In the decades before it was settled by white immigrants, York township and the surrounding area was the domain of the PotawatomiPotawatomi
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...
Indians.
The first recorded white settler in York Township was Fayette Barron, who built a homestead at what would become Metz in 1836. The following year saw the arrival of the Powers families, who settled in the northwest sections of the township. Two Powers brothers had scouted the area the year before, and now brought six families on a long journey from New York state.
In 1879, the Powers families and neighbors built what is now known as the Powers Church. The land for a nondenominational church (hence its other name "Free Church") had been donated in 1839 by Clark Powers, head of one of the original Powers families. The last regular services were held at the church in the 1920s. The church was restored into 1976 and added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1983.
The unincorporated village of Metz reached its heyday during the late 19th and early 20th century. At one point or another it boasted a sawmill, a hotel, physicians, an undertaker, and several of the more typical retail shops. In 1919, the York township schools were consolidated with those of Richland Township
Richland Township, Steuben County, Indiana
Richland Township is one of twelve townships in Steuben County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 538, making it the smallest township in the county.-Geography:...
into the Metz school. This school, with students from kindergarten through high school, operated for 40 years, until it was closed in 1959, a victim of falling enrollment.