Warsaw is a city in and 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 ...

Kosciusko County Kosciusko County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. At the 2020 United States Census, its population was 80,240. The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Warsaw. The county was organized in 1836. It was named for the Polish ge ...

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. Warsaw has a population of 13,559 as of the

2010 U.S. 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 serving ...

. Warsaw also borders a smaller town,

Winona Lake Winona Lake is a town in Wayne Township, Kosciusko County, in the U.S. state of Indiana, and the major suburb of Warsaw. The population was 4,908 at the 2010 census. Geography Winona Lake is located at (41.220818, -85.817118). It is now contiguo ...

Etymology

Warsaw, named after

the capital ''The Capital'' (also known as ''Capital Gazette'' as its online nameplate and informally), the Sunday edition is called ''The Sunday Capital'', is a daily newspaper published by Capital Gazette Communications in Annapolis, Maryland, to serve ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

in tribute to

Tadeusz Kościuszko Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko ( be, Andréj Tadévuš Banavientúra Kasciúška, en, Andrew Thaddeus Bonaventure Kosciuszko; 4 or 12 February 174615 October 1817) was a Polish military engineer, statesman, and military leader who ...

, 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 bea ...

ted on October 21, 1836. Warsaw's post office was established in 1837.

History

Early Warsaw saw traders, trappers, and merchants supplying manufactured goods to area farmers. Because of the central location in the lake region, tourists soon began visiting Warsaw and eventually made permanent residences in the city, with industry soon following. In March 1854, Warsaw became a town, and the initial census on February 2, 1854, showed a total of 752 residents in the town limits. The Pennsylvania Railroad (then known as the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne, and Chicago Railroad) reached Warsaw in November 1854. The

Big Four Railroad The Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, also known as the Big Four Railroad and commonly abbreviated CCC&StL, was a railroad company in the Midwestern United States. It operated in affiliation with the New York Central system. I ...

(Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St Louis) arrived in Warsaw in August 1870. Gas lights were installed in August 1880. Telephone lines were strung in 1882, with Dr. Eggleston having the first phone. The waterworks were constructed in 1885. Gas was supplemented with electricity in 1897, but gas was still used in many homes until 1915. In 1895,

Revra DePuy Reverend DePuy (March 22, 1860 – October 9, 1921), was an American inventor, noted for his invention of the fiber splint. He was the founder of DePuy Manufacturing, now part of Johnson and Johnson (J&J). Biography DePuy was born in Grand Rapi ...

founded

DePuy Manufacturing DePuy Synthes () is a franchise of orthopaedic and neurosurgery companies. Acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 1998, its companies form part of the Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices group. DePuy develops and markets products under the Codman, DePuy ...

in Warsaw to make wire mesh and wooden splints, becoming the world's first manufacturer of orthopedic appliances. In 1905, DePuy hired Justin Zimmer as a splint salesman. Zimmer broke away from DePuy in 1927 to start his own orthopedic company with Joe Ettinger in the basement of Ettinger. Warsaw is now known as the "orthopaedic capital of the world." The Warsaw-based East Fort Wayne Street Historic District, Kosciusko County Jail, Warsaw Courthouse Square Historic District, Warsaw Cut Glass Company, and Justin Zimmer House are 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 ...

Geography

Warsaw is located at (41.240564, -85.847002) and occupies the area between Pike Lake, Hidden Lake and Center Lake (to the north) and Winona Lake (to the southeast). The Tippecanoe River passes through the West portion of Warsaw.

U.S. Route 30 U.S. Route 30 or U.S. Highway 30 (US 30) is an east–west main route in the system of the United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country. With a length of , it is the third longest ...

and Indiana State Road 15 both pass through town, while

Indiana State Road 25 State Road 25 is a highway in the U. S. state of Indiana. Although it is designated a north–south road, in practice it travels generally northeast from its southern terminus at State Road 32 (south of Waynetown and north of Shades State Pa ...

begins on West Market Street while traffic is routed to West Winona Avenue along with State Road 15 after US Route 30 bypassed the downtown area. According to the 2010 census, Warsaw has a total area of , of which (or 89.64%) is land and (or 10.36%) is water.

Transportation

Airport

*KASW - Warsaw Municipal Airport

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

, there were 13,559 people, 5,461 households, and 3,311 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was . There were 6,066 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.5%

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 o ...

, 1.6%

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 ...

, 0.5% Native American, 2.2%

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 ...

, 4.3% 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 2.0% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

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 10.4% of the population. There were 5,461 households, of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.4% were non-families. 32.8% 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 2.38 and the average family size was 3.02. The median age in the city was 34.8 years. 25.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.2% were from 25 to 44; 24% were from 45 to 64; and 13.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

2000 U.S. Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...

, there were 12,415 people, 4,794 households, and 3,068 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 5,101 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 70.50%

, 1.41%

, 0.39% Native American, 1.07%

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 5.25% from

, and 1.37% from two or more races.

of any race were 29.21% of the population. There were 4,794 households, out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.11. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $36,564, and the median income for a family was $45,153. Males had a median income of $33,322 versus $22,284 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 city was $19,262. About 6.8% of families and 9.2% 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 8.7% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Kosciusko County Courthouse from southeast near sunset

Warsaw has an elected

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...

and

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

-style of government. Officials are elected for four-year terms. Warsaw's current mayor is

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 ...

Dr. Joseph Thallemer, who has served since January 1, 2012. Mike Hodges is Warsaw's longest-serving mayor who served for 5 terms.

Representatives - common council

The Warsaw Common Council is a seven-member legislative group that serve four-year terms. Five of the members represent specific districts; two are elected citywide as at-large council members. *Jack Wilhite: At-large *Cindy Dobbins: At-large *Jeff Grose: 1st district *Ron Shoemaker: 2nd district *Mike Klondaris: 3rd district *William "Jerry" Frush: 4th district *Diane Quance: 5th district *Lynne Christiansen: Clerk-Treasurer

Economy

Warsaw, known as the "Orthopedic Capital of the World", is home to the first

orthopedic Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternatively spelt orthopaedics), is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...

device manufacturer, the DePuy Manufacturing Company, started in 1895 by Revra DePuy. Competitors, such as Zimmer, Inc. in 1927 and Biomet, Inc. in 1977, have subsequently been founded in Warsaw to support the industry. Several orthopedic suppliers are also present. Other companies headquartered in Warsaw are Da-Lite, makers of commercial and home theater

projection screen A projection screen is an installation consisting of a surface and a support structure used for displaying a projected image for the view of an audience. Projection screens may be permanently installed, as in a movie theater; painted on the ...

LSC Communications LSC Communications is an American commercial printing company based in Chicago, Illinois, and, as of December 2020, a fully-owned subsidiary of Atlas Holdings. The company was established in 2016 as part of a corporate spin-off from RR Donnelley ...

, a commercial

printing press A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in which the ...

; Dalton Foundry, a malleable iron casting foundry; ABC Industries, a leader in mining ventilation products and industrial textile fabrics; Penguin Point, a regional fast-food chain; and PayLeap, a payment gateway service provider. Historically, Warsaw was home to the Biltwell Basket Company and to Explorer Van, founded by Bob Kesler.

Culture

Warsaw is home to the Wagon Wheel Theatre founded in 1956 and becoming a non-profit organization in 2011 featuring a "theatre in the round". Movies shot in Warsaw include '' American Teen'' by

Nanette Burstein Nanette Burstein (born May 23, 1970) is an American film and television director. Burstein has produced, directed, and co-directed several documentaries including the Academy Award nominated and Sundance Special Jury Prize winning film '' On th ...

which premiered at Sundance Film Festival, New Life (film), produced by

Erin Bethea Erin Bethea (born August 12, 1982) is an American actress. She is known for appearing in Sherwood Pictures' films, ''Facing the Giants'' and ''Fireproof''. She most recently wrote, produced and starred in the film '' New Life''. Background Bethea ...

Long Gone By
and Room 441. City Parks, the Lake City Greenway Trails, City County Athletic Complex (CCAC) and two golf courses offer citizens recreation. Central Park, which overlooks Center Lake, is host to regular concerts during the summer months. Center Lake Park includes the Warsaw Biblical Gardens which is a noted

Biblical garden Biblical gardens are Horticulture, cultivated collections of plants that are named in the Bible. They are a type of theme garden that botanical gardens, public parks, and private gardeners maintain. They are grown in many parts of the world, with ma ...

. The Rotary Club of Warsaw was chartered on June 1, 1919, being one of the oldest clubs in the community and part of Rotary International. residence.

Radio

* WRSW-FM, Classic Hits 107.3 is the 50,000-watt heritage station of the Warsaw community for over 70 years *"Willie 103.5" WAWC is Warsaw's Fun Country Station began broadcasting in Warsaw in November 2006 *News Now Warsaw 1480 AM and 99.7 FM ( WRSW-AM provides National and Local News and Information around the clock *

WLAB WLAB (88.3 MHz) is a non-commercial, listener-supported FM radio station in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It is owned by the Star Educational Media Network and broadcasts a Contemporary Christian radio format. It holds periodic on-air fundraisers to s ...

, Star 88.3, broadcasts to the community, via its translator on FM radio frequency 90.9 FM *Oldies 101.1, ( WLQZ-LP), where they are "Always Playing a Better Oldie."

Education

* Alternative Learning Center, public school · grades 9-12 · 680 students * Charter College of Health and Massage Therapy * Certified Natural Health Professionals · Natural Health Education and Certification * Edgewood Middle School, public school · grades 7-8 · 887 students * Eisenhower Elementary School, public school · grades K-6 · 523 students * Grace College - Warsaw Campus * Harrison Elementary School, public school. grades K-6. 611 students *

Indiana Tech Indiana Institute of Technology (Indiana Tech) is a private university in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was founded in 1930 as Indiana Technical College by John A. Kalbfleisch, who was also the school's first president. The university today is organi ...

- Warsaw Campus *

Ivy Tech Community College Ivy Tech Community College (Ivy Tech) is a public community college system in the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the state's public community college system and it has more than 40 locations. It is also the state's largest public postsecondary in ...

- North Central Campus * Lakeland Christian Academy, private school · grades Pre K-12 * Lakeview Middle School, public school · grades 7-8 · 760 students * Lighthouse Christian Academy, private school · grades Pre K-12 454 students * Lincoln Elementary School, public school · grades K-6 · 456 students * Living Stone's Preparatory School, private school · grades Pre K-12 * Madison Elementary School, public school · grades K-6 · 563 students * Monarch Christian Academy, private School · grades K-12 · 23 students * Sacred Heart School, private school · grades Pre K-6 · 206 students * Trinity School of Natural Health · Distance Learning Natural Health Education * Warsaw Community High School, public school · grades 9-12 · 1,947 students * Washington STEM Academy, public school · grades K-6 · 555 students The city has a lending library, the Warsaw Community Public Library.

Notable people

Whitey Bell William Hoyet "Whitey" Bell (born September 13, 1932) is a retired American basketball player. He played collegiately for the North Carolina State University. Bell averaged 14.2 points per game as a senior for NC State during the 1957–58 seas ...

, NBA, ABL player (1959-1963) *

Ambrose Bierce Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (June 24, 1842 – ) was an American short story writer, journalist, poet, and American Civil War veteran. His book '' The Devil's Dictionary'' was named as one of "The 100 Greatest Masterpieces of American Literature" by ...

, author of ''

The Devil's Dictionary ''The Devil's Dictionary'' is a satirical dictionary written by American journalist Ambrose Bierce, consisting of common words followed by humorous and satirical definitions. The lexicon was written over three decades as a series of installments ...

'' * Jack E. Bowers. Illinois state legislator and lawyer * Howard Brubaker, magazine editor and writer *

Shea Couleé Jaren Kyei Merrell (born February 8, 1989), known professionally as Shea Couleé, is an American drag queen, musician, actor, podcaster, and fixture of the Chicago nightlife scene. Born in Warsaw, Indiana, they began their drag career in 2012. I ...

, drag queen * Jesse E. Eschbach, jurist * David C. Fisher, author, pastor *

Rick Fox Rick may refer to: People *Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name *Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality *Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...

, actor and former NBA

basketball player Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

* Randy Heisler, Olympic athlete *

Ben Higgins Benjamin Edward Higgins (born March 23, 1989), is an American television personality and entrepreneur who starred on the 20th season of ABC's ''The Bachelor'', after appearing on the 11th season of '' The Bachelorette''. Early life Higgins w ...

, former Bachelor and Bachlorette contestant * Scottie James (born 1996), basketball player for

Hapoel Haifa Hapoel Haifa Football Club ( he, מועדון הכדורגל הפועל חיפה, ''Moadon HaKaduregel Hapoel Haifa'') is an Israeli football club located in the city of Haifa. The club won one championship (1998–99) and 4 Israeli cups (1 ...

in the Israeli Basketball Premier League * Gary Kosins, NFL player * Hal Kratzsch, an original member of famed singing group

The Four Freshmen The Four Freshmen is an American male vocal quartet that blends open-harmonic jazz arrangements with the big band vocal group sounds of The Modernaires, The Pied Pipers, and The Mel-Tones, founded in the barbershop tradition. The singers accom ...

* James R. Leininger, physician, founder of Kinetic Concepts *

Tom Metzger Thomas Linton Metzger (April 9, 1938 – November 4, 2020) was an American white supremacist, neo-Nazi skinhead leader and Klansman. He founded White Aryan Resistance (WAR), a neo-nazi organization, in 1983. He was a Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux ...

, former

Grand Wizard The Grand Wizard (later the Grand and Imperial Wizard simplified as the Imperial Wizard and eventually, the National Director) referred to the national leader of several different Ku Klux Klan organizations in the United States and abroad. The t ...

of the Ku Klux Klan * Nic Moore, professional basketball player *

Marshall Plumlee Marshall Harrison Plumlee (born July 14, 1992) is an American former professional basketball player and is an active-duty United States Army Ranger School, Ranger-Qualified officer. He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils men's baske ...

, professional basketball player *

Mason Plumlee Mason Alexander Plumlee (born March 5, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He primarily plays the forward and center positions. As a freshman in 2009–10, h ...

, professional basketball player * Miles Plumlee, professional basketball player *

Jill Long Thompson Jill Lynette Long Thompson (born July 15, 1952) is an American politician, educator, and author. A former Congresswoman from Indiana, she is the author of ''The Character of American Democracy, ''published by Indiana University Press in Septembe ...

, former U.S. congresswoman from Indiana * Todd Alan Clem (a.k.a. "

Bubba The Love Sponge Bubba the Love Sponge Clem (born Todd Alan Clem, April 23, 1966) is an American radio personality who hosts ''The Bubba the Love Sponge Show'' on the radio station WWBA in Tampa, Florida, and the subscription service Bubba Army Radio. He can al ...

"), radio personality/shock jock * Steve Hollar, actor * Max Truex, Olympic athlete

References

External links

*
Official Kosciusko County Visitors Bureau
* * {{authority control Cities in Indiana Cities in Kosciusko County, Indiana Micropolitan areas of Indiana County seats in Indiana