Boswell is a town in Grant Township, Benton County,

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, United States. The population was 800 at the 2020 census. It is part of the

Lafayette, Indiana Lafayette ( ) is a city in and is the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, located northwest of Indianapolis and southeast of Chicago. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of Lafayette ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The town of Boswell was first laid out by Charles Moore, but Moore sold the land it occupied to Tippecanoe County-native Elizabeth H. Scott who, with her husband Charles, replatted it in its present form on July 18, 1872. A small general store run from a "rough board shanty" just north of the railroad was the town's first business, but this was joined by many more as the town grew. The town was named for Parnaham Boswell and was platted with streets bearing the names of the founders, Charles and Elizabeth, and their five children, Grace, Emma, Clinton, Harold and Jennie.

Geography

Boswell is located in Grant Township.

U.S. Route 41 U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miam ...

passes along the east side of Boswell; State Road 352 and the

Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad The Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad Company is a Class III railroad serving agricultural communities in east-central Illinois and west-central Indiana. History In December 1977, Conrail was set to abandon of their ex-New York Centr ...

both run east through town. Goose Creek flows along Boswell's south side and joins Mud Pine Creek about two miles to the southeast. According to the 2010 census, Boswell has a total area of , all land.

Government and public safety

The town's business is presided over by a three-person town board and a town clerk. These positions are elected every four years. The town of Boswell employs a full-time town marshal. The Marshal is charged with providing law enforcement service in the town limits and surrounding area. The town marshal is a sworn police officer under Indiana statute.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 778 people, 310 households, and 205 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 362 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 87.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.6%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 10.2% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 15.0% of the population. There were 310 households, of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.9% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.08. The median age in the town was 38.1 years. 27.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.3% were from 25 to 44; 22% were from 45 to 64; and 16.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 827 people, 329 households, and 224 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 361 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 92.14%

, 0.24%

, 0.24% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 4.84% from other races, and 2.30% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 9.79% of the population. There were 329 households, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were

living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.9% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.08. In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.7% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $33,224, and the median income for a family was $36,136. Males had a median income of $28,839 versus $19,792 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $14,401. About 5.5% of families and 8.3% 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 ...

, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

It is in the

Benton Community School Corporation The Benton Community School Corporation administers the one high school/middle school and two elementary schools in Benton County, Indiana. Its offices are located in the county seat of Fowler, Indiana. The superintendent is Dr. Annette Zupin. ...

. The children of Boswell, Indiana attend Prairie Crossing Elementary School, and then Benton Central Jr-Sr High School (the sole comprehensive secondary school in the district). Previously there was Boswell Elementary School (closed at end of May 2021). The area was rezoned to Prairie Crossing ES. The town has a lending library, the Boswell Public Library.

References

External links

Town of Boswell official website
{{authority control Towns in Benton County, Indiana Towns in Indiana Populated places established in 1872 Lafayette metropolitan area, Indiana 1872 establishments in Indiana