Earl Park is a town in Richland Township, Benton County,

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 ...

, United States. The population was 348 at the 2010 census. It is part of the

Lafayette, Indiana Lafayette ( , ) is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, located northwest of Indianapolis and southeast of Chicago. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, whi ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

History

Earl Park was laid out July 31, 1872, by Adams D. Raub and named for his uncle, Adams Earl, one of the promoters of the Big Four railway from

Lafayette Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to: People * Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette * House of La Fayette, a French noble family ** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757� ...

to Kankakee. It consisted of 217 lots, the public sale of which on August 8 attracted some 2,000 people. Free lunch and free transportation on a special train of freight cars from Lafayette was provided. The town's first building was a grain elevator, the second the railway station. Elias Wees opened the first general store, providing residents with groceries and provisions. Earl Park's first school, a one-story frame building, was erected around 1874 and expanded to a second story around 1878. The town gained a Catholic church in 1880, and a Methodist one in 1881, each costing about $2,500 to build and furnish. Every year, Earl Park holds the Earl Park Fall Festival, which attracts thousands of people from all over the United States. It features a carnival, tractor pull, flea market, demolition derby, and some of the finest Blue Grass bands in the United States. Earl Park is home to the

Benton County Wind Farm The Benton County Wind Farm (also called Goodland I) consists of 87 model sl/sle Gen4 GE 1.5 MW wind turbines near Earl Park, Indiana in northern Benton County, Indiana. The farm's nameplate capacity is 130.5 MW. The farm was developed by Orion ...

, the first large

wind farm A wind farm or wind park, also called a wind power station or wind power plant, is a group of wind turbines in the same location used Wind power, to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundre ...

in Indiana, established in 2008. Earl Park was the birthplace of

Matilde E. Moisant Matilde Josephine Moisant (September 13, 1878 – February 5, 1964) was an American pioneer aviator, the second woman in the United States to obtain a pilot's license. Early life Moisant was born on September 13, 1878 in Earl Park, India ...

, the second woman in the United States to receive a pilot's license.

Geography

Earl Park is located at (40.684428, -87.415872) in Richland Township. U.S. Route 52 skirts around the northeast edge of town, and the

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 In December 1977, Conrail was set to abandon of their ex-New York Cent ...

along the southwest. The Upper Sugar Creek flows to the town's north and west. According to the 2010 census, Earl Park has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 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 incl ...

of 2010, there were 348 people, 147 households, and 93 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 179 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.3%

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 on ...

, 1.4% 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 0.3% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

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 2.6% of the population. There were 147 households, of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.7% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the town was 42 years. 20.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.4% were from 25 to 44; 32.1% were from 45 to 64; and 14.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 53.2% male and 46.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 485 people, 168 households, and 111 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 177 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.97%

, 0.21%

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 ...

, 0.82% from

of any race were 1.03% of the population. There were 168 households, out of which 40.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were

living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.17. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males. The median income for a household in the town was $32,981, and the median income for a family was $37,188. Males had a median income of $26,667 versus $22,875 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 $14,369. About 8.7% of families and 10.4% 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 15.2% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Education

The town has a lending library, the Earl Park Public Library.

References

External links

Town of Earl Park, Indiana website
{{authority control Towns in Benton County, Indiana Towns in Indiana Lafayette metropolitan area, Indiana Populated places established in 1872 1872 establishments in Indiana