LaPorte County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the U.S. state 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 ...

. As of 2010, the population was 111,467. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is the city of La Porte, and the largest city is Michigan City. This county is part of the Northwest Indiana and Michiana regions of the

Chicago metropolitan area The Chicago metropolitan area, also colloquially referred to as Chicagoland, is a metropolitan area in the Midwestern United States. Encompassing 10,286 sq mi (28,120 km2), the metropolitan area includes the city of Chicago, its suburbs and hi ...

. The

LaPorte County Courthouse The LaPorte County Courthouse is a historic county courthouse in La Porte, Indiana, the county seat of LaPorte County. It was designed by Brentwood S. Tolan and built from 1892-1894. It is Richardsonian Romanesque architecture in style and was b ...

is located in the county seat of La Porte and is 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 artist ...

History

LaPorte County was formed in 1832. ''La porte'' means "the door" or "the port" in

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

. French travelers or explorers so named the area after discovering a natural opening in the dense forests that used to exist in this region, providing a gateway to lands further west. From 1832 to 1835 LaPorte County had its boundaries and jurisdiction of the land west of it going all the way to the east border of Chicago in Cook County, IL (land which is now Porter and Lake Counties). Before European-American settlement, all of the land that forms modern-day LaPorte County, and adjacent Starke County to the south belonged to the Potawatomi Indian nation. These Indians were forcibly removed to Kansas by the United States government in 1838, and many died on what survivors called the

Trail of Death The Potawatomi Trail of Death was the forced removal by militia in 1838 of about 859 members of the Potawatomi nation from Indiana to reservation lands in what is now eastern Kansas. The march began at Twin Lakes, Indiana (Myers Lake and Cook L ...

. LaPorte County's initial European-American settlers were

Yankee The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Its various senses depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, residents of the Northern United St ...

migrants, that is to say they were from

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian province ...

or were from upstate New York and had parents who were from

, and were descended from the English

Puritans The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Catholic Church, Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become m ...

who settled

in the colonial era. They were part of a wave of

settlers moving west into what was then the Northwest Territory after the completion of the

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly redu ...

through the Mohawk Valley of New York State. These first settlers in LaPorte County specifically hailed from the

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

towns of Granville, Boston, Bridgewater, West Bridgewater, Andover, Nantucket Island, and Hampshire County; the

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

towns of Colchester, Wethersfield, Granby, and New Haven; the

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...

towns of Bradford,

Amherst Amherst may refer to: People * Amherst (surname), including a list of people with the name * Earl Amherst of Arracan in the East Indies, a title in the British Peerage; formerly ''Baron Amherst'' * Baron Amherst of Hackney of the City of London, ...

and Goffstown; the Vermont villages of Dorset, Albany and Fairfax; many also came from Orange County, Vermont, Caledonia County, Vermont and Penobscot County, Maine. They were mainly members of the Congregational Church. As result of the

Second Great Awakening The Second Great Awakening was a Protestantism, Protestant religious Christian revival, revival during the early 19th century in the United States. The Second Great Awakening, which spread religion through revivals and emotional preaching, sparke ...

, many became Baptists and many also converted to

Pentecostalism Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestantism, Protestant Charismatic Christianity, Charismatic Christian movementMethodism. When they arrived in what is now LaPorte County, there was nothing but virgin forest and prairie. The

settlers cleared roads and brush, developed farms, constructed churches, erected government buildings, and established post routes. As a result of this migration, La Porte County was partially culturally continuous with early

culture for many years. But by 1850, the three Eastern states that had contributed the most residents to LaPorte County were New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, surpassing those migrants from New England. LaPorte County had the largest number of Southerners north of the Wabash Valley. During the Civil War, the ''Louisville Journal'' noted that the 29th Indiana Regiment (mustered out of LaPorte) "may almost be regarded as a Kentucky regiment for a large majority of its members are either natives or descendants of native Kentuckians". Three Union Camps reigned in LaPorte County helping the Union to Civil War victory. When the county was initially proposed and organized, its boundaries did not extend as far south or east as they do today. A section of land north of the Kankakee River originally belonged to Starke County. However, residents living in that area had difficulty crossing the river in order to reach the rest of the county. It was necessary to travel some distance east to Lemon's bridge, before making the journey south. Effectively isolated from the rest of Starke County, these residents asked that their land be annexed to LaPorte County, which was completed on January 28, 1842. Thereafter, the Kankakee River formed the southern boundary of the county. Finally, on January 10, 1850, some twenty sections of land were annexed from St. Joseph County to the east, giving LaPorte County the boundaries that essentially exist to this day. Whether the correct spelling of the city and county is "La Porte" or "LaPorte" is disputed, although state law refers to "LaPorte County." LaPorte County is noted for being the place of the Belle Gunness serial murders. Gunness lived on a farm on the outskirts of the county seat.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 97.56%) is land and (or 2.44%) is water. The highest point, at , is in southwestern Galena Township near County Roads East 600 North and North 150 East. The lowest point, at , is along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Adjacent counties

* Berrien County,

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

(North/Eastern Time Zone Border) * St. Joseph County (East/Eastern Time Zone Border) * Starke County (South) *

Jasper County Jasper County is the name of eight counties in the United States of America. All are named in honor of Sergeant William Jasper, a hero of the Revolutionary War. Five counties share a boundary with a Newton County, named for John Newton John ...

(Southwest) * Porter County (West)

National protected area

* Indiana Dunes National Park – ''also in

Lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much lar ...

and Porter counties''

Major highways

* * *

U.S. Route 6 * US 12

U.S. Route 12 * US 20

U.S. Route 20 * US 30

U.S. Route 30 * US 35

U.S. Route 35 * US 421

U.S. Route 421 * Indiana 2

State Road 2 * Indiana 4

State Road 4 * Indiana 8

State Road 8 * Indiana 39

State Road 39 The following highways are numbered 39. For a list of roads called ''N39'', see List of N39 roads. Australia * Newell Highway * Goulburn Valley Highway * **Gore Highway ** Leichhardt Highway Canada * Alberta Highway 39 * British Columbia Hi ...

State Road 104 * Indiana 212

State Road 212

Railroads

* Canadian National Railway * Chesapeake and Indiana Railroad * Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad * Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad * CSX Transportation *

Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (3 ...

* South Shore Line (commuter rail)

Municipalities

The municipalities in LaPorte County and their populations as of the 2010 Census:

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Townships

LaPorte County contains 21 townships, more than any other county in the state. The townships, with their populations as of the 2010 Census, are:

Unincorporated towns

* Lakeland

Education

K-12 schools

School districts include: * John Glenn School Corporation *

La Porte Community School Corporation LaPorte Community School Corporation (LPCSC) is a school district headquartered in LaPorte, Indiana. Schools Middle and High Schools: * LaPorte High School La Porte ( ) is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States, within the Bay Area of th ...

* Michigan City Area Schools * New Durham Township Metropolitan School District * New Prairie United School Corporation *

South Central Community School Corporation South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*su ...

* Tri-Township Consolidated School Corporation

Public libraries

The county is served by five different public library systems: * LaCrosse Public Library * LaPorte County Public Library has its main location in La Porte as well as the Coolspring, Fish Lake, Hanna, Kingsford Heights, Rolling Prairie and Union Mills branches. * Michigan City Public Library * Wanatah Public Library * Westville-New Durham Township Public Library has its main location in Westville.

Hospitals

* La Porte Hospital, La Porte – ''227 beds'' * Franciscan Health Michigan City, Michigan City – ''310 beds''

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in La Porte have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in June.

Education

Public schools in LaPorte County are administered by seven different districts: * John Glenn School Corporation * LaPorte Community School Corporation * Metropolitan School District of New Durham Township * Michigan City Area Schools * New Prairie United School Corporation * South Central Community School Corporation * Tri-Township Consolidated School Corporation Colleges and Universities * Ivy Tech Community College *

Purdue University Northwest Purdue University Northwest (PNW) is a public university with two campuses in Northwest Indiana, one in Hammond and another in Westville. It is part of the Purdue University system and offers more than 70 undergraduate and graduate degree ...

Government

The county government is a constitutional body and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code. County Council: The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes. Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government. Court: The county has five elected trial court judges. They include the LaPorte Circuit Court and Superior Courts one through four. The judges are elected to six-year terms on partisan ballots. Superior Courts three and four maintain small claims dockets. Decisions from any trial court may be appealed to the Indiana Court of Appeals. The Circuit Court and Superior court three are located in the city of La Porte; Superior courts one, two and four are located in Michigan City. County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

, coroner,

auditor An auditor is a person or a firm appointed by a company to execute an audit.Practical Auditing, Kul Narsingh Shrestha, 2012, Nabin Prakashan, Nepal To act as an auditor, a person should be certified by the regulatory authority of accounting an ...

, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county. LaPorte County is split between Indiana's 1st and Indiana's 2nd congressional district and is represented by Jackie Walorski and Frank Mrvan in the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washi ...

. It is also part of Indiana Senate districts 5 and 8 and Indiana House of Representatives districts 9, 17 and 20. County elected officials: '' Board of Commissioners:'' * Richard Mrozinski ( R, 1st) * Sheila Brillson Matias ( D, 2nd) * Joe Haney ( R, 3rd) ''

County Council A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries. Ireland The county councils created under British rule in 1899 continue to exist in Irel ...

:'' * Connie Gramarossa ( R) * Terry L. Garner ( R) * Michael Rosenbaum ( R) * Randall Novak ( D) * Earl Cunningham ( R) * Mike Mollenhauer ( D) * Mark Yagelski ( D) '' Elected Officials:'' *

Assessor An assessor may be: * ''Assessor'' (fish), a genus of fishes * Assessor (law), the assistant to a judge or magistrate * Assessor (Oxford), a senior officer of the University of Oxford * Assessor (property), an expert who calculates the value of pr ...

: Michael R. Schultz ( D) * Auditor: Tim Stabosz ( R) * Clerk: Heather Stevens ( R) * Coroner: Lynn Swanson ( R) * Prosecutor: John Lake ( D) * Recorder: Elzbieta Bilderback ( R) *

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

: John T. Boyd ( R) * Surveyor: Anthony C. Hendricks ( D) * Treasurer: Joie Winski ( D)

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 111,467 people, 42,331 households, and 28,228 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 48,448 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 84.1% white, 10.8% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 2.0% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 30.7% were German, 15.3% were Irish, 11.5% were Polish, 8.3% were English, and 5.9% were American. Of the 42,331 households, 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.3% were non-families, and 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age was 39.6 years. The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $56,679. Males had a median income of $45,537 versus $30,774 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,599. About 9.9% of families and 13.8% 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 ...

, including 22.7% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

Notes

References

External links

*
Access LaPorte County official community site

Greater LaPorte Chamber of Commerce

Healthy Communities of LaPorte County

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laporte County, Indiana Indiana counties 1832 establishments in Indiana Populated places established in 1832 Northwest Indiana

History

Geography

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Major highways

Railroads

Municipalities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Unincorporated towns

Education

K-12 schools

Public libraries

Hospitals

Climate and weather

Education

Government

Demographics

See also

Notes

References

External links