Pulaski County ( ) is a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers 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
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 ...
. According to the 2010 U.S.
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 ...
, the population was 13,402.
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 st ...
is
Winamac
Winamac was the name of a number of Potawatomi leaders and warriors beginning in the late 17th century. The name derives from a man named Wilamet, a Native American from an eastern tribe who in 1681 was appointed to serve as a liaison between Ne ...
.
History
Pulaski County was organized in 1835.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 99.80%) is land and (or 0.20%) is water.
Major highways
*
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 ...
*
U.S. Route 421
U.S. Route 421 (also U.S. Highway 421, US 421) is a diagonal northwest–southeast United States Numbered Highway in the states of North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana. The highway runs for from Fort Fisher, North Caro ...
*
Indiana State Road 14
State Road 14 is an east–west highway route which traverses the northern portion of the U.S. State of Indiana. Its western terminus is at U.S. Route 41 in Enos, and since 1995 its eastern terminus is at Interstate 69 in Fort Wayne.
Route ...
*
Indiana State Road 39
State Road 39 in the U.S. State of Indiana is the name of two distinct north–south highways in the state of Indiana.
Route description
Southern section
Located in south-central Indiana, the shorter southern section of State Road 39 begins a ...
*
Indiana State Road 114
State Road 114 (SR 114) is an east–west state road, that consists of three discontinuous sections, in the northern part of the US state of Indiana. The western portion of SR 114 is just under long and is routed between U.S. Highway 41 (US 41) ...
*
Indiana State Road 119
*
Indiana State Road 143
Railroads
*
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...
Adjacent counties
*
Starke County (north)
*
Marshall County (northeast)
*
Fulton County Fulton County is the name of eight counties in the United States of America. Most are named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the first practical steamboat:
*Fulton County, Arkansas, named after Governor William Savin Fulton
*Fulton County, Georgia
*F ...
(east)
*
Cass County (southeast)
*
White County (south)
*
Jasper County (west)
Municipalities
Towns
The municipalities in Pulaski County, and their populations as of the 2010 Census, are:
*
Francesville – 879
*
Medaryville – 614
*
Monterey
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under both ...
– 218
*
Winamac
Winamac was the name of a number of Potawatomi leaders and warriors beginning in the late 17th century. The name derives from a man named Wilamet, a Native American from an eastern tribe who in 1681 was appointed to serve as a liaison between Ne ...
– 2,490
Census-designated places
*
Star City – 377
Other unincorporated places
*
Beardstown
*
Clarks
*
Denham
*
Lakeside
*
Lawton
*
Pulaski
*
Radioville
*
Ripley
*
Thornhope
*
Vanmeter Park
Townships
The 12 townships of Pulaski County, with their populations as of the 2010 Census, are:
Education
Public schools in Pulaski County are administered by four districts:
*
Eastern Pulaski Community Schools
*
West Central School Corporation
*
Culver Community Schools
*
North Judson-San Pierre Schools
High Schools
* Winamac Community High School
* West Central High School
Middle Schools
* Winamac Community Middle School
* West Central Middle School
Elementary Schools
* Eastern Pulaski Elementary School
* West Central Elementary School
Hospitals
* Pulaski Memorial Hospital, Winamac – ''25 beds''
Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Winamac have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in June.
Government
The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the
Constitution of Indiana
The Constitution of Indiana is the highest body of state law in the U.S. state of Indiana. It establishes the structure and function of the state and is based on the principles of federalism and Jacksonian democracy. Indiana's constitution is su ...
, and by the
Indiana Code
The Indiana Code is the code of laws for the U.S. state of Indiana. The contents are the codification of all the laws currently in effect within Indiana. With roots going all the way back to the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, the laws of Indiana h ...
.
County Council: The county council is the fiscal-legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Four members are elected from county districts, and three are elected at-large. 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-legislative body of the county is the board of commissioners. The commissioners represent geographic districts, but 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 adopting and executing legislation, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.
[
Court: The county maintains a ]small claims court
Small-claims courts have limited jurisdiction to hear civil cases between private litigants. Courts authorized to try small claims may also have other judicial functions, and go by different names in different jurisdictions. For example, it may b ...
that can handle some civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.[
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
A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into Manner of death, the manner or cause of death, and to investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...
, 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 and au ...
, treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance.
Government
The treasury o ...
, recorder
Recorder or The Recorder may refer to:
Newspapers
* ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper
* ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US
* ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a news ...
, surveyor
Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ca ...
, and circuit court clerk
A court clerk (British English: clerk to the court or clerk of the court ; American English: clerk of the court or clerk of court ) is an officer of the court whose responsibilities include maintaining records of a court, administer oaths to witn ...
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
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...
affiliations and to be residents of the county.[
Pulaski County is part of ]Indiana's 2nd congressional district
Indiana's 2nd congressional district is an electoral district for the U.S. Congress in Northern Indiana. It includes South Bend and Elkhart.
On November 8, 2022, Republican candidate Rudy Yakym won both the special election, to complete the r ...
and in 2016 was represented by Jackie Walorski
Jacqueline Renae Walorski (, August 17, 1963 – August 3, 2022) was an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Indiana's 2nd congressional district from 2013 until her death in 2022. She was a member of the Republican Pa ...
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 Washing ...
.[walorski.house.gov]
Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...
, there were 13,402 people, 5,282 households, and 3,707 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 6,060 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.2% white, 0.7% black or African American, 0.3% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 32.4% were German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
, 12.2% were Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
, 8.6% were English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
, and 8.2% were American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
.
Of the 5,282 households, 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.8% were non-families, and 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age was 41.7 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $50,903. Males had a median income of $43,624 versus $27,131 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,491. About 13.4% 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 28.5% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
See also
*
* Tippecanoe River State Park
References
External links
Pulaski County official website
Eastern Pulaski Community Schools
West Central School Corporation
Culver Community Schools
North Judson-San Pierre Schools
{{authority control
Indiana counties
1839 establishments in Indiana
Populated places established in 1839
Sundown towns in Indiana