Gas City is a city in

Grant County Grant County may refer to: Places ;Australia * County of Grant, Victoria ;United States *Grant County, Arkansas *Grant County, Indiana * Grant County, Kansas *Grant County, Kentucky *Grant County, Minnesota *Grant County, Nebraska *Grant C ...

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 ...

, along the

Mississinewa River The Mississinewa River is a tributary of the Wabash River in eastern Indiana and a small portion of western Ohio in the United States. It is long and is the third largest tributary behind the White and Little Wabash Rivers, only slightly larger t ...

. The population was 5,965 at the 2010 census.

History

Gas City was first known as Harrisburg when settled on May 25, 1867, by Noah Harris. It became something of a

boom town A boomtown is a community that undergoes sudden and rapid population and economic growth, or that is started from scratch. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, although ...

when

natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...

was found in the area in 1887. The Gas City Land Company was founded on March 21, 1892, and the town of about 150 people changed its name to Gas City a few days later. However, as of 2022 much of the gas is depleted. (See Indiana gas boom.) The Gas City High School,

Thompson-Ray House Thompson-Ray House is a historic home located at Gas City, Grant County, Indiana. It was built between 1902 and 1906, and is a -story, Late Victorian Free Classic style brick and stone dwelling. It has a cruciform plan and gable roof. It feat ...

, and West Ward School are 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 v ...

. Gas City annually hosts the Ducktail Run Rod and Custom Car Show in the Fall. The "Ducktail Run," as it is known to locals, is a large car show featuring vehicles from 1972 and older. In the year 2020, the Festival had 2,020 vehicles register to appear.

Geography

Gas City is located at (40.488190, -85.605649). According to the 2010 census, Gas City 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 5,965 people, 2,410 households, and 1,632 families living in the city. 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 2,597 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.2%

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 ...

, 0.9%

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 ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.4%

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 ...

, 0.4% 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 1.7% 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 2.4% of the population. There were 2,410 households, of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% 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, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.3% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age in the city was 39.4 years. 24.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.6% were from 25 to 44; 27.1% were from 45 to 64; and 15.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 5,940 people, 2,393 households, and 1,643 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,497 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.46%

, 0.30%

, 0.32% Native American, 0.22%

, 0.07%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.56% from

, and 1.08% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.52% of the population. There were 2,393 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were

living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.95. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $35,940, and the median income for a family was $42,056. Males had a median income of $34,020 versus $23,482 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 city was $18,295. About 8.1% of families and 10.2% 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 13.8% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.

Transport

Gas City is served by several state and federal routes: *

Interstate 69 Interstate 69 (I-69) is an Interstate Highway in the United States currently consisting of 10 unconnected segments with an original continuous segment from Indianapolis, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, at ...

(exit 259) *

U.S. Route 35 U.S. Route 35 (US 35) is a United States Highway that runs southeast-northwest for approximately from the western suburbs of Charleston, West Virginia to northern Indiana. Although the highway is physically southeast-northwest, it is nomi ...

* State Road 22

Education

Gas City is home to the Mississinewa School Corporation, which features

Mississinewa High School Mississinewa High School is a high school in Gas City, Indiana, with more than 800 students. The nickname of the students and the athletic teams is "Mississinewa Indians". This school is a part of the Mississinewa Community School Corporation, or ...

, R.J. Baskett Middle School, and Northview Elementary school all in the city. The town has a lending library, the Gas City-Mill Township Public Library.

References

External links

City of Gas City, Indiana website
(archived from 2017) {{Authority control Cities in Indiana Cities in Grant County, Indiana Populated places established in 1867 1867 establishments in Indiana Sundown towns in Indiana