Merom is a town in Gill Township, Sullivan 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 228 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Terre Haute

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 ...

. Nearby is Hallador Energy's Merom Generating Station.

History

The town's name commemorates the

Battle of the Waters of Merom According to Joshua 11 in the Hebrew Bible, the Battle of the Waters of Merom was a battle between the Israelites and a coalition of Canaanite city-states near the Waters of Merom. Archaeologist Nadav Na'aman has suggested that this battle may nev ...

in the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. Hebrew: ''Tān ...

. The Merom post office has been in operation since 1818.

Geography

Merom is located at (39.056950, -87.566573). According to the 2010 census, the town has a total area of , all land. The Bluff Park in Merom is the site of the type locality of the Merom Sandstone.

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 228 people, 99 households, and 59 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 123 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 100.0%

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 ...

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 0.4% of the population. There were 99 households, of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% 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, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.4% were non-families. 37.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age in the town was 39.4 years. 30.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.5% were from 25 to 44; 27.1% were from 45 to 64; and 16.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.4% male and 49.6% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 294 people, 108 households, and 81 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 135 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.30%

, 0.68%

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 ...

, and 1.02% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.68% of the population. There were 108 households, out of which 43.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.2% were

living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.12. In the town, the population was spread out, with 32.0% under the age of 18, 3.4% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males. The median income for a household in the town was $31,528, and the median income for a family was $33,333. Males had a median income of $30,250 versus $20,750 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 $13,087. About 13.5% of families and 14.5% 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 11.4% of those under the age of eighteen and 3.6% of those 65 or over.

Education

Merom has a

public library A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants. There are ...

, a branch of the

Sullivan County Public Library The Sullivan County Public Library serves residents of Sullivan, Indiana, Sullivan and Sullivan County, Indiana. A public library, it has been in operation since 1905. In 1899, the "Woman's Club" began a drive to establish a Carnegie library in the ...

. The grand opening of the Merom – Gill Township Carnegie Library was on Sep. 1, 1918. The two-story structure has beautiful oak woodwork and paintings by local artist Will Turman. The Merom Library became a part of the Sullivan County Public Library system on Dec. 28, 1967. Locals believe that Merom is the smallest town in the U.S. with a Carnegie-built library.

Arts and culture

Merom's two main attractions are the Bluff Park overlooking the Wabash River and the farm fields of Illinois.

References

External links

Town website
{{Authority control Towns in Sullivan County, Indiana Terre Haute metropolitan area