Batesville is a city in
Franklin
Franklin may refer to:
People
* Franklin (given name)
* Franklin (surname)
* Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class
Places Australia
* Franklin, Tasmania, a township
* Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...
and
Ripley counties in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
. The population was 6,520 at the
2010 census, making it the largest community in both counties but is not the county seat of either. The
Batesville Casket Company is headquartered here. Medical technology company
Hillrom
Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc., doing business as Hillrom, is an American medical technology provider that is a subsidiary of Baxter International.
History
Hillrom is a wholly owned subsidiary of Baxter and was formally part of Hill-Rom Holdings, I ...
has a substantial presence in the town, employing over 1,700 people at its office, innovation and manufacturing campus. Batesville is noted for its central location between
Indianapolis,
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
, and
Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
.
History
Central Batesville Historic District was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 2011.
Beginning
Batesville was founded by
George H. Dunn, owner of the John Callahan Trust Company. The company bought land and created new towns along rail lines that it began since Dunn was president of the Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railroad. Joshua Bates, who
plat
In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bea ...
ted the town of Batesville, is thought to be the source of the name. On November 1, 1853, the first train from Cincinnati to Indianapolis passed through Batesville.
Development
Once the railway opened, Dunn and Bates constructed more buildings. George Sims laid out Batesville's first addition in 1858. The following year, German immigrant Henry Boehringer became Batesville's first major builder. A three-story building with a basement on East Pearl Street (formerly known as Broadway Street) became known as the Boehringer Hall because of the dance floor on the third story. The Catholic congregation used the basement before they had built their church.
Louis Walter established Batesville's first
gristmill
A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separat ...
in 1858. Between 1860 and 1870, Boehringer built a row of apartments and homes on the north side of Batesville on Boehringer Street. Along with building the apartments and housing, Boehringer owned the
lot where the Ward School now stands. In 1863 Conrad Rapp purchased numerous lots on East Broadway and bought Walter's gristmill. In 1865, John Brinkman built a hotel and restaurant called the
Sherman House, named after
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), achieving recognition for his com ...
, a
major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
that led the
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...
to its final victory of the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
in a campaign that became known as "
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea (also known as the Savannah campaign or simply Sherman's March) was a military campaign of the American Civil War conducted through Georgia from November 15 until December 21, 1864, by William Tecumseh Sherman, maj ...
".
Sebastian Messersmith built Union Hall in 1865. It was a two-story building on the west side of Main Street (Batesville, Indiana), Main Street and just north of South Street (Batesville, Indiana), South Street. Union Hall was used by the fire department for meetings and it was used by the public school while the school building was being rebuilt. It was also used as a boarding house for mill workers and visiting lumber salesman. This was an important building to the citizens of Batesville. Batesville has been known for its many factories built between the 1870s and the present.
In 1873 the Greeman Bracket Company began manufacturing under the Greeman family name, which was one of the leading businesses for 30 years. The Schrader Furniture Factory was built in 1873, but had to be rebuilt in 1875 after the factory was destroyed by a fire. When the founder Herman Schrader died, the business was bought by John Hillenbrand, John and William Hillenbrand. In 1874, the Union Furniture Factory also burned down and the Blank Bros. Furniture Manufacturing Company was erected the following year. Also, in 1879, Batesville published its first newspaper, ''The Prairie Farmer''.
During the 1880s the town of Batesville started its first form of government appointed by the community. The first mayor was George M. Hillenbrand. The first town board served without pay. The board consisted of five officers: Jacob Blank Jr., John Lehmkuehler, John Hillenbrand, William Hillenbrand, and Christian Schwieler. Much of the money that was put toward the town came directly out of the officers' pockets. For example, in February 1883, they donated $153.06 to go toward paying for the town's bills. By September, when the financial report was reviewed, Batesville only had $1.82 in its account. Also during 1883, Batesville began major road construction.
In 1884 Batesville organized the
Batesville Casket Company. It was managed by J. Spiegel and later purchased by George M. Hillenbrand in February 1906. Also in 1884, the town jail was completed at a cost of $211.55. The inmates were forced to break stone to pay for their stay in the prison.
Several developments took place in 1887, including new additions to the town and telephone connections to the town of Oldenburg. These developments were funded by a grant applied for by Mr. Haverkos. Also in 1887, John Hillenbrand and Victor Oberting opened a stone quarry on some of Mr. Hillenbrand's land near Batesville. In December 1887, the town hall was completed. The town hall was separated into two parts: one for the town board and the other for the fire company. The town hall was also rented out for public gatherings.
In March 1888, the school board made a decision to construct an addition onto the schoolhouse. This proposal estimated that the total cost of the addition would be $1,500. Also in 1888, the first city attorney (James H. Connelly) was appointed at a salary of $35 per year, and many new businesses were added. In this year, Henry F. E. Schrader moved to Batesville and opened a tin shop and built homes. Also, Henry H. Kramer started a grocery store on the corner of Walnut and Boehringer. As well as new stores, a covered bridge was built over the Laughery Creek, making travel much easier.
In 1889, Batesville finally paved its roads with stone that came from the Hillenbrand and Oberting Stone Quarry. As well as the paving of the roads, Batesville opened the Batesville State Bank. In February 1890, Batesville had built its first sidewalks. Also in the 1890s, street lamps were introduced to Batesville. Originally, these lamps were oil lamps. However, in October, a proposal was written to turn them all into electric lamps, but the proposal was denied. On January 29, 1894, the first electric lamp was placed in front of Town Hall.
In 1895 a petition was written and accepted to build another school. The total estimated cost would be $5,700. The land would cost $700 and the school building would cost $5,000. In 1897 Batesville decided to stop the use of the electric lamps because of the rates that people had to pay to keep them going, but then in 1898 Batesville decided that they would reduce the rates and only use the lamps when needed.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, Batesville has a total area of , of which (or 98.93%) is land and (or 1.07%) is water.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
system, Batesville has a
humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Economy
There are two large publicly traded companies headquartered in Batesville. There are also smaller manufacturing companies in Batesville, as well as a telecommunications company formerly known as Enhanced Telecommunications Corporation, that serves several surrounding towns and cities like Greensburg.
Batesville Casket has been in business since 1884 and is still a flourishing business for Batesville. Batesville Casket is one of the leading casket companies in the US
The largest industry in Batesville is the manufacturing of hospital and health care equipment, most notably hospital beds. William Hillenbrand and his aunt Mary Mitchell founded
HillRom
Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc., doing business as Hillrom, is an American medical technology provider that is a subsidiary of Baxter International.
History
Hillrom is a wholly owned subsidiary of Baxter and was formally part of Hill-Rom Holdings, I ...
in 1927. The business grew rapidly after the
Great Depression ended. William convinced hospitals to use his wooden hospital bed for six months free of charge.
Government
Batesville is an incorporated city governed by a
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
and a five-member
city council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
. Four of the city council members are elected by four districts while the fifth is elected at-large by the community as a whole. The city also elects a city judge and city clerk treasurer. The mayor, city council members, judge, and clerk treasurer all serve four year terms.
Mike Bettice is the current mayor of Batesville.
Transportation
The main mode of transportation to and around Batesville is by road. There are several major routes that intersect the city.
*
Interstate 74
}
Interstate 74 (I-74) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western end is at an interchange with I-80 in Davenport, Iowa (Quad Cities); the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an interchange ...
Batesville is located on I-74 between
Indianapolis to the west and
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
to the east. The interstate bisects the northern part of the city. While most of Batesville is located south of the interstate, some businesses and residences are located north of the interstate.
*
Indiana 229
State Road 229 (SR 229) is a State Road in the south-eastern section of the state of Indiana. Running for about in a general north-south direction, connecting rural portions of Ripley and Franklin counties. SR 229 was originally introduced ...
Indiana 229 runs from north to south through the center of the city. It connects Batesville with
Oldenburg Oldenburg may also refer to:
Places
*Mount Oldenburg, Ellsworth Land, Antarctica
*Oldenburg (city), an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany
**Oldenburg (district), a district historically in Oldenburg Free State and now in Lower Saxony
*Olde ...
to the north and
Indiana 48
State Road 48 (SR 48) in the U.S. State of Indiana is an east–west state highway running through southern Indiana. It has three distinct and separate sections. The western terminus of SR 48 is at State Road 63 and the eastern t ...
to the south. A portion of Main Street and Walnut Street run concurrent with Indiana 229 through the city center.
*
Indiana 46
State Road 46 in the U.S. state of Indiana is an east–west state highway in the southern half of Indiana.
Route description
The western terminus of SR 46 is at I-70 east of Terre Haute at an interchange before becoming a heavily trave ...
Indiana 46 runs east to west through Batesville connecting it with
Greensburg to the west and several small communities to the east. Indiana 46 runs parallel to Interstate 74.
There is also a railroad, owned by the Central Railroad Comp. of Indiana, that runs through Batesville that connects
Indianapolis to
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
. This line is limited to freight.
Unfortunately, there are no available taxi or limousine services operating in Batesville.
Greyhound Lines buses stopped in Batesville until June 20, 2005.
Education
Batesville has one public
school corporation
A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public primary and secondary schools in various nations.
North America United States
In the U.S, most K–12 public schools function as units of local school districts, wh ...
, Batesville Community Schools, which consists of , Batesville Intermediate, Batesville Middle, and
Batesville High School. –2012 school year, there were approximately 2,083 students enrolled in the district.
The only private school, St. Louis Catholic School, enrolls about 420 students in its
K-8 program at St. Louis Parish and 50 students at St. Louis Catholic Preschool.
Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech Community College (Ivy Tech) is a public community college system in the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the state's public community college system and it has more than 40 locations. It is also the state's largest public postsecondary in ...
has a campus at Batesville, a branch of Ivy Tech Southeast.
The town has a lending library, the Batesville Memorial Public Library.
Recreation
Batesville is also home to a few outdoor recreation facilities. Batesville Liberty Park is the main public park in Batesville. Liberty Park offers many recreational activities such as horseshoes, volleyball, baseball, basketball, playground sets, and a large pavilion. Batesville also offers walking and biking trails. The main bike and running trails are located in Brum Woods, of woods donated by Lena Brum. Batesville also contains a golf course, Hillcrest Country Club and Golf Course. Batesville is also home to the Southeast Indiana
YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...
.
Batesville also has a movie theater, The Gibson Theatre. Built in 1921 by Dr. C. W. Gibson, the theater features a unique neon-lit look.
Media
Batesville has one radio station,
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...
format station
WRBI (103.9
FM). WRBI is owned by White River Broadcasting Co., Inc.
FCC FM Database
Retrieved 2010-03-25. This station also provides local news and sports to the community.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the 2010 U.S. Census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...
, there were 6,520 people, 2,492 households, and 1,678 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was . There were 2,712 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.1% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 0.3% African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.2% Native American, 1.7% Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.1% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 1.6% from other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 3.3% of the population.
There were 2,492 households, of which 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.7% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.16.
The median age in the city was 38.2 years. 28.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.7% were from 25 to 44; 24.5% were from 45 to 64; and 15.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.
2000 census
As of the census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2000, there were 6,033 people, 2,240 households, and 1,581 families residing in Batesville. The population density was . There were 2,335 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 0.02% African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.1% Native American, 1.1% Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.9% from other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.6% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.2% of the population.
There were 2,240 households, out of which 38% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.6 and the average family size was 3..
The population age is spread out, with 28.5% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,115, and the median income for a family was $58,590. Males had a median income of $38,862 versus $29,127 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the town was $21,892. About 2.4% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.
References
External links
City of Batesville official website
Discover Batesville
Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce
Batesville, Indiana
at RipleyCounty.com
{{authority control
Cities in Indiana
Cities in Franklin County, Indiana
Cities in Ripley County, Indiana