Thorntown is a town in

Sugar Creek Township, Boone County, Indiana Sugar Creek Township is one of twelve townships in Boone County, Indiana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 2,243 and it contained 919 housing units. Geography According to the 2010 census, the township has a total area of , of which (o ...

. The population was 1,520 at the time of the 2010 census. Thorntown is located in northwestern Boone County, about halfway between Lafayette and Indianapolis.

History

The first permanent settlement at Thorntown was made in 1827. A post office was established at Thorntown in 1830. Thorntown 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 in 1831. Thorntown is the English translation for the name of a former Native American village located there. The

Thorntown Public Library Thorntown Public Library is a historic Carnegie library located at Thorntown, Boone County, Indiana. It was built in 1914–1915, and is a one-story, three bay, brown brick building with a red clay tile hipped roof. It has a round arched entra ...

was 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 artistic v ...

in 1986.

Geography

Thorntown is located at (40.128757, -86.608762). According to the 2010 census, Thorntown has a total area of , all land.

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 1,520 people, 556 households, and 422 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 622 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 99.1%

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 ...

, 0.1%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.1% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.5% 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 ...

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 0.7% of the population. There were 556 households, of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% 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, 16.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 24.1% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.10. The median age in the town was 37.5 years. 26% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.6% were from 25 to 44; 27.8% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,562 people, 589 households, and 444 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 632 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.57%

, 0.13%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 1.47% from

, and 0.83% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.98% of the population. There were 589 households, out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.9% were

living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.07. In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.3% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $38,289, and the median income for a family was $43,194. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $24,524 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 $19,109. About 5.4% of families and 6.6% 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 6.4% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The town is governed by
Town Board
who oversees all sewage, electric, and police and fire service. The town board is also in charge of capital improvements and special projects such as road construction, signage, ordinance adoption, and administrating over the town court. There are five members of the board and a president is chosen from among them. The town's fire service is provided b

and ambulance service is provided b
Witham Health Services
The town's police department consists of four full-time police officers and anywhere between six and nine reserve officers. The town's police department falls under th

The town uses three police vehicles and provides almost 24-hour service. The town's marshals are also in charge of collecting loose or stray animals as well as enforcing local ordinance and state laws. The officers have full police authority within anywhere in the state of Indiana as prescribed by law.

Notable people

* William La Follette, member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

, was born in Thorntown. *

Paul Hutchens Paul Hutchens (April 7, 1902, Thorntown, Indiana – January 23, 1977, Colorado Springs, Colorado) was an American author. In addition to writing The Sugar Creek Gang, a series of 36 Christian-themed juvenile fiction books about the adventur ...

, author known for the '' Sugar Creek Gang'' book series *

Anson Mills Anson Mills (August 31, 1834 – November 5, 1924) was a United States Army officer, surveyor, inventor, and entrepreneur. Engaged in south Texas as a land surveyor and civil engineer, he both named and laid out the city of El Paso, Texas. Mills a ...

, general and founder of

El Paso, Texas El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...

* William W. Rogers, major general in

Marine Corps Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

References

External links

Town of Thorntown, Indiana website
{{authority control Towns in Boone County, Indiana Towns in Indiana Indianapolis metropolitan area