Ripley 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 at the southeastern corner of 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 Census, the population was 28,818.
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
Versailles
The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, u ...
.
History
Ripley County was formed on December 27, 1816, in the same legislative act that created
Jennings County. It was named for Gen.
Eleazer Wheelock Ripley
Eleazer Wheelock Ripley (April 15, 1782 – March 2, 1839) was an American soldier and politician. He fought in the War of 1812, eventually rising to the rank of brigadier general, and later served as a U.S. Representative from Louisiana, fr ...
, an officer in the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
, who figured in the
Battle of Lundy's Lane
The Battle of Lundy's Lane, also known as the Battle of Niagara, was a battle fought on 25 July 1814, during the War of 1812, between an invading American army and a British and Canadian army near present-day Niagara Falls, Ontario. It was one o ...
and the
Siege of Fort Erie
The siege of Fort Erie, also known as the Battle of Erie, from 4 August to 21 September 1814, was one of the last engagements of the War of 1812, between British and American forces. It took place during the Niagara campaign, and the Americans s ...
during 1814.
Geography
The county seat of Ripley County is Versailles, Indiana. It was selected as the county seat in 1818, and was laid out in 1819.
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 99.64%) is land and (or 0.37%) is water.
Unincorporated towns
* Allen Crossing
*
Ballstown
*
Behlmer Corner
*
Benham
*
Clinton
*
Correct
*
Cross Plains
*
Cross Roads
*
Dabney Dabney may refer to:
Places in the United States
* Dabney, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Dabney, Indiana, an unincorporated community
* Dabney, Kentucky, an unincorporated community
* Dabney, North Carolina, an unincorporated community
* ...
*
Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
*
Dewberry
The dewberries are a group of species in the genus ''Rubus'', section ''Rubus'', closely related to the blackberries. They are small trailing (rather than upright or high-arching) brambles with aggregate fruits, reminiscent of the raspberry, ...
*
Elrod
*
Friendship
Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague.
In some cultures, the concept o ...
*
Haney Corner
*
Jackson
Jackson may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name
Places
Australia
* Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region
* Jackson North, Qu ...
*
Jolleyville
*
Laugheryville
*
Lookout
A lookout or look-out is a person in charge of the observation of hazards. The term originally comes from a naval background, where lookouts would watch for other ships, land, and various dangers. The term has now passed into wider parlance.
...
*
Morris
Morris may refer to:
Places
Australia
*St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia
Canada
* Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry
* Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba
** Morris, Manitob ...
*
Negangards Corner
*
New Carrollton
*
New Marion
*
Old Milan
*
Olean
*
Otter Village
*
Penntown
*
Pierceville
*
Prattsburg
*
Rexville
*
Spades
*
Stringtown
*
Stumpke Corner
Ghost towns
*
Saint Magdalen
Adjacent counties
*
Dearborn County
Dearborn County is one of 92 counties of the U.S. state of Indiana located on the Ohio border near the southeast corner of the state. It was formed in 1803 from a portion of Hamilton County, Ohio. In 2020, the population was 50,679. The county ...
(east)
*
Decatur County Decatur County is the name of various past and present counties in the United States, all named for Stephen Decatur:
*Decatur County, Georgia
*Decatur County, Indiana
*Decatur County, Iowa
*Decatur County, Kansas
*Decatur County, Tennessee
*Decatu ...
(northwest)
*
Franklin County (north)
*
Jefferson County (south)
*
Jennings County (west)
*
Ohio County (east–southeast)
*
Switzerland County
Switzerland County is a county in the southeast corner of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 9,737. The county seat is Vevay, one of two incorporated towns in the county.
History
In 1787, the fl ...
(at southeast tip)
Major highways
*
Interstate 74
}
Interstate 74 (I-74) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western end is at an interchange with I-80 in Davenport, Iowa (Quad Cities); the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an interchange ...
– runs east–west across northern tip of county.
*
US Route 50
U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlantic O ...
– runs east–west across middle of county, through Holton and Versailles.
*
US Route 421
U.S. Route 421 (also U.S. Highway 421, US 421) is a diagonal northwest–southeast United States Numbered Highway System, United States Numbered Highway in the states of North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana. The highway ...
- enters from Decatur County near northwest tip of Ripley County. Runs SSE to Versailles, then SSW into Jefferson County.
*
State Road 46 – runs east–west across northern tip of county, paralleling Interstate 74 on its south side.
*
State Road 48 – runs east–west across upper portion of county, through Napoleon.
*
State Road 62 – begins at intersection with State Road 129, north of Cross Plains. Runs east through Friendship to Dearborn County.
*
State Road 101 – begins at intersection with US Route 50 near east county line. Runs north to Penntown.
*
State Road 129 – begins at intersection with State Road 46 east of Batesville, runs south to Versailles, then SSE through Cross Plains into Switzerland County.
*
State Road 229 – enters from Franklin County at Batesville, runs SSW to Ballstown then south and west to Napoleon. Runs west to Decatur County.
*
State Road 350 – begins at intersection with US 421 at Osgood, runs east through Delaware and Pierceville into Dearborn County.
National protected area
*
Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge
Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in southeast Indiana, United States, near Madison, Indiana. The refuge is the largest of Indiana's three National Wildlife Refuges ( M ...
(part)
Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Versailles have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of was recorded in July 1999. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in May.
[
]
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 legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts, serving 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.[
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.[
State Government: At the State level, Ripley County is divided in its representation. Adams and Laughery Townships are located in the 55th House District which is represented by Rep. Cindy Ziemke. The rest of Ripley County is located in the 67th district represented by Rep. Randy Frye. Adams and Laughery Townships are in the 42nd Senate District represented by State Senator Jean Leising. The rest of Ripley County is in Senate District 43 represented by Senator Chip Perfect.
Federal Government:
Ripley County is part of ]Indiana's 6th congressional district
Indiana's 6th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Indiana. The district takes in a portion of eastern and central Indiana as of the 2020 census, including Columbus and Richmond, as well as a few suburbs of bot ...
and is represented in Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...
by Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Greg Pence
Gregory Joseph Pence (born November 14, 1956) is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Indiana's 6th congressional district since 2019. The district serves much of east-central Indiana, including Muncie, ...
. Along with the rest of Indiana, its senators are Mike Braun
Michael Kent Braun (; born March 24, 1954) is an American businessman and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Indiana since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously represented the 63rd district in the India ...
and Todd Young
Todd Christopher Young (born August 24, 1972) is an American attorney and politician serving as the senior United States senator for Indiana, a seat he has held since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Young previously served as the U.S. r ...
.
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 28,818 people, 10,789 households, and 7,910 families residing in the county.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
**Ger ...
, 14.2% 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 ...
, 13.9% 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 ...
, and 8.7% 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 ...
.
Of the 10,789 households, 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 26.7% were non-families, and 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.08. The median age was 39.2 years.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 14.3% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.
See also
* List of counties in Indiana
There are 92 counties in the U.S. state of Indiana. Each county serves as the local level of government within its borders. Although Indiana was organized into the United States since the Northwest Ordinance in 1787, its land was not always avai ...
*
- Ripley County website
References
External links
Ripley County, Indiana collection
Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library
{{Coord, 39.10, -85.26, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-IN_source:UScensus1990
Indiana counties
1818 establishments in Indiana
Populated places established in 1818