Windfall is a town in Wildcat Township, Tipton County, 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 ...

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 ...

. It is part of the

Kokomo, Indiana Kokomo ( ) is a city in Indiana and the county seat of Howard County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Kokomo, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Howard County, the Kokomo-Peru CSA, which includ ...

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 ...

. Windfall's population was 697 as of the 2021 census.

History

Founding

Windfall was founded by James B. Fouch in 1853. Fouch

platted 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 ...

the land with the goal of securing a train station in order to earn business from the lucrative lumber trade. He built the first

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

in 1853. A

Christian church In ecclesiology, the Christian Church is what different Christian denominations conceive of as being the true body of Christians or the original institution established by Jesus. "Christian Church" has also been used in academia as a synonym fo ...

was built just outside Windfall in 1854. The congregation moved to Windfall in 1866.Pershing, p. 202
/ref> A

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

church was organized in Windfall in 1857, with meetings taking place in a school house.Pershing, p. 198
/ref> The Windfall post office has been in operation since 1855. There is no definitive history explaining how Windfall was named, but a niece of James B. Fouch told a local newspaper in 1949, “The story has been told to me that Windfall was named by my uncle after a terrific windstorm had swept through the village.”Peters, Rowland, "Windfall grew, developed around Mitchell Farms" ''Elwood Call-Leader'' July 3, 1976 The village was incorporated on March 24, 1871Pershing, p. 138
/ref> by a unanimous vote of the people who had settled there. As other settlers came to the village it grew opposite from the way Fouch intended. As a result, Windfall’s Main Street, the original street, is southwest from the center of the town. That same year, the Windfall

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

church was founded.Pershing, p. 208
/ref>

Crime in the 1800s

Windfall has a notable crime history dating from just after its incorporation. In 1865, Noble Goff, a man once described as "respectable..but in later years had fallen into heavy dissipation and had made many enemies," was murdered with a

hatchet A hatchet (from the Old French , a diminutive form of ''hache'', 'axe' of Germanic origin) is a single-handed striking tool with a sharp blade on one side used to cut and split wood, and a hammerhead on the other side. Hatchets may also be use ...

while in bed. His wife was charged with his murder and served her time in prison. Henry Thomas was killed by a local doctor, Armstrong, in 1864 or 1865. He killed Thomas out of "jealousy," and claimed he was not guilty upon trial. The doctor was acquitted.Pershing, p. 139
/ref> A few years later a man named Perry was killed in a local saloon over a game of cards. In 1867, a man named Gifford was killed by James Stewart. The two men entered into a fight at Stewart's house and Stewart shot him. He was acquitted for self-defense. Finally, the work of a suspected

arson Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...

burned down a large brick

drug store A pharmacy (also called "drugstore" in American English or "community pharmacy" or "chemist" in Commonwealth English, or rarely, apothecary) is a retail shop which provides pharmaceutical drugs, among other products. At the pharmacy, a pharmacis ...

and the nearby home of Dr. McAlaster in 1883.

1900s

As of the 20th century, the town was described as being "one of the most attractive communities in Tipton County." A large Methodist church was built and completed in September 1913. It cost $28,000 to build.

World War II

From 1944 to 1945 Windfall was home to a World War II German

POW A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...

camp, Windfall Indiana World War II POW Camp.

Notable residents

Windfall was the childhood home of Jeff Modisett, Indiana Attorney General (1997-2000).

Geography

Windfall is located at (40.362138, -85.956852). According to the 2010 census, Windfall 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 708 people, 279 households, and 190 families residing 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 324 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.2%

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 ...

, 0.3%

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 ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.3%

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 ...

, 1.1% 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 0.8% 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 5.4% of the population. There were 279 households, of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% 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, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.9% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.10. The median age in the town was 38.8 years. 25.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.5% were from 45 to 64; and 15.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 712 people, 291 households, and 208 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 307 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 99.30%

, 0.14% Native American, and 0.56% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.98% of the population. There were 291 households, out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.92. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.2% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $40,000, and the median income for a family was $46,786. Males had a median income of $32,857 versus $24,375 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 $18,948. About 8.7% of families and 9.7% 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 11.2% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.

Early census

As of the census of 1910, there were 890 people. In 1900, there were 957 people. As of 1890, there were 561 people.Pershing, p. 140
/ref>

Economy

1800s

Just after Windfall founder James B. Fouch built the first sawmill in 1853, Josiah Ross built the first home in the town, which he used as a general store. Multiple storehouses were built by 1859, buying and selling products, including grain, to business via the railroad. A factory for

stave Stave may refer to: Places * Stave (Krupanj), a village in Serbia * Stave Hill, in London * Stave Lake, in British Columbia, Canada * Stave River, in British Columbia, Canada * Stave Run, a river in Virginia, United States Other uses * Stave ...

manufacturing was built in 1865. In 1873, the Windfall Steam Flouring Mill was founded. A felloe factory was built in 1877 by Thornburgh and Hirons.

1900s

By 1914, the most lucrative industry in Windfall was

canning Canning is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container (jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans). Canning provides a shelf life that typically ranges from one to five years, although u ...

, specifically tomatoes. The most prominent cannery was the Royal Canning Company.

Infrastructure

Utilities

Historically, the town was provided

natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...

by the Windfall Gas Company. The Indian Union Traction Company supplied Windfall with electric lighting in 1913.

Healthcare

As of 1914, Windfall had its own hospital. It has since closed.

Education

Windfall 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 Tipton County Public Library.

References

Footnotes

Sources

* Pershing, Marvin W. "History of Tipton County, Indiana: Her People, Industries and Institutions". Indianapolis: B.F. Bowen (1914). {{authority control Towns in Tipton County, Indiana Towns in Indiana Populated places established in 1853 Kokomo, Indiana metropolitan area