Hymera is a town in and the principal center of
Jackson Township,
Sullivan County, 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 sover ...
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 801 at the 2010 census.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, Hymera has a total area of , all land.
It is part of the
Terre Haute
Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...
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 ...
. The primary coordinate point for Hymera is located at latitude 39.1859 and longitude -87.2989 in Sullivan County. Sullivan County is in the Eastern time zone (GMT -5). The elevation is 525 feet.
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 801 people, 306 households, and 215 families residing 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 364 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 99.0%
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 ...
, 0.2%
Native American, and 0.7% 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 ...
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 0.1% of the population.
There were 306 households, of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% 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, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.7% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.14.
The median age in the town was 37.5 years. 28% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.8% were from 25 to 44; 27.3% were from 45 to 64; and 12.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.7% male and 50.3% 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 incl ...
of 2000, there were 833 people, 331 households, and 228 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 389 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 99.40%
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 ...
, 0.24%
Native American, and 0.36% from two or more races.
There were 331 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% 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, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $28,938, and the median income for a family was $34,091. Males had a median income of $28,850 versus $16,369 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 $13,113. About 13.7% of families and 17.2% 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 19.4% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.
Schools
Students from Hymera attend
Northeast East Elementary
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
(grades K-6), and
North Central High School (grades 7-12) located in
Farmersburg, Indiana
Farmersburg is a town in Curry Township, Sullivan County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,118 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Terre Haute Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town is adjacent to the Vigo County line and is over ...
.
Local attractions
The primary local attractions are
Shakamak State Park
Shakamak State Park is a state park in Indiana, United States. It is located southeast of Terre Haute, Indiana.
Shakamak's main attraction is its fishing. Shakamak has several outdoor recreational activities such as swimming, hiking, paddle boat ...
, Bruce's Pizza & Bait Shop, and the Minnehaha Fish and Wildlife Area.
History
During
pioneer
Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land.
In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and dev ...
times, the area was settled by the
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
s for the
Bethel Church. A log building once stood within the limits of the present town, where the early settlers assembled for religious worship. On
Busseron Creek was a
grist mill
A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...
erected about 1829. On the westside was one of the first
coal mine
Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...
s of the county; it was owned by H. K. and Harvey Wilson. The coal was used chiefly by local
blacksmith
A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
s.
Hymera was
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 bear ...
ted as a
townsite A townsite is a legal subdivision of land for the development of a town or community. In the historical development of the United States, Canada, and other former British colonial nations, the filing of a townsite plat (United States) or plan (Ca ...
''circa'' 1870.
Robert Linn had a
general store on the site now occupied by the
Odd Fellows block. For some years the store and
post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...
, and two or three shops, comprised the business of the place.
When the post office was established the name Pittsburg was selected by the local community, in honor of William Pitt who owned the land on which Hymera was founded. However, the name was not accepted by the postal department.
The post office was then established under the name Hymera, and has been in operation since 1855.
The origin of the name Hymera is credited to
John Badders, who was postmaster. He had an adopted daughter, Mary.
The change of name for the village was accomplished in 1890.
In April of that year, a petition from nearly all the voters of Pittsburg was laid before the county commissioners asking that the name of the town as recorded on the plat be changed to Hymera. A short time previously, on the opening of the new mine at
Alum Cave, the new town laid out there was called New Pittsburg, while the Hymera community in distinction was referred to as Old Pittsburg. The resulting confusion brought about the change in name. About this time a branch line of
railroad
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
reached up to the coal mines in the vicinity, which led to tremendous growth. In 1902 Hymera was incorporated into a town. That July, the first election for town officers was held.
One of the memorable days in the history of Hymera was the celebration in October 1904, known as
Mitchell Day, in honor of
John Mitchell, the president of the
United Mine Workers of America
The United Mine Workers of America (UMW or UMWA) is a North American Labor history of the United States, labor union best known for representing coal miners. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing worke ...
. The crowd in town was estimated at over seven-thousand. A delegation met Mitchell at
Terre Haute
Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...
, and the local procession was made up of the K. of P. Band, labor organizations, and school children. The ceremonies of the day centered about the unveiling of a monument to
Nathan Hinkle, the
Revolutionary soldier who was buried in the Hymera Cemetery. Hon. James S. Barcus, a great-grandson of Hinkle, delivered an address, and Miss Mamie Asbury, a great-granddaughter, assisted in the unveiling. The monument is fifteen feet high, representing a Revolutionary soldier at parade rest. The other events of the day were held in the Zink Grove, where speeches were made by Rev. A. P. Asbury and Robert W. Miers and John C. Chaney, and the principal address of the afternoon was delivered by Mitchell himself.
In the fall of 1905, Mitchell was reported to have said that Hymera was the neatest mining town in the United States, with more and better sidewalks according to its size than any town in the county, and many improvements indicating a progressive spirit among the citizens.
At the time, there were five church organization, the
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
,
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
,
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
,
United Brethren and
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
, the first two having good buildings, while the Presbyterians and U. B. were preparing to build. A five-room school building had proved inadequate, and a four-room addition was added in the summer of 1905. The
Hymera State Bank, which had been organized in December 1903, as the Bank of Hymera, by S. M. Patton and R. I. Ladd, was reorganized as a state bank in January 1906, with Mr. Ladd as President and Mr. Patton, Cashier.
References
External links
Hymera Elementary schoolNathan Hinkle
{{authority control
Towns in Sullivan County, Indiana
Towns in Indiana
Terre Haute metropolitan area