Charlestown, Indiana
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Charlestown is a city located within Charlestown and Utica Townships,
Clark County Clark County may refer to: *Clark County, Arkansas *Clark County, Idaho *Clark County, Illinois *Clark County, Indiana *Clark County, Kansas *Clark County, Kentucky *Clark County, Missouri *Clark County, Nevada, containing Las Vegas *Clark 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 7,775 at the 2020 census.


History


Early History and Founding

Charlestown was established in 1808, named after one of its surveyors, Charles Beggs, upon , of which was designated for a town square. It was established one mile (1.6 km) northeast of Springville, and was responsible for Springville's demise. Milling was important to the town, as the first mill was built in the area, on
Fourteen Mile Creek Fourteen Mile Creek, shown as Fourteenmile Creek on federal maps, is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 19, 2011 creek in Clark County, Indiana, close to Charlestown, ...
, in 1804. This mill would be abandoned when John Work built a mill by use of a tunnel in 1814. Today, that mill is part of the Tunnel Mill Scout Reservation.


19th Century

From 1811 to 1878 Charlestown was the county seat of Clark County, but as Jeffersonville had surpassed it economically, the county seat reverted to Jeffersonville in 1878. In 1818, the first Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons in Indiana met in Charlestown, due to
Jonathan Jennings Jonathan Jennings (March 27, 1784 – July 26, 1834) was an American politician who was the first governor of the State of Indiana and a nine-term congressman from Indiana. Born in either Hunterdon County, New Jersey, or Rockbridge County, Vi ...
' influence.


Lynching

In 1871, three black Charlestown residents were lynched for the murders of local farmer, Cyrus Park, along with his family. Park's two daughters were found on the brink of death alongside the dismembered corpses of Park, his wife, and his son. Park's neighbor claimed to have letters that park had received from a "high-profile" member of the community which threatened Park's life if he did not leave Charlestown. The night Park's neighbor made this testimony, he fought off a group of attackers, who he later described as, Park's murderers and "definitely white." Despite this, Park's neighbor was ignored. A manhunt had already commenced for George Johnson, a black Charlestown man known locally for his
vagrancy Vagrancy is the condition of wandering homelessness without regular employment or income. Vagrants usually live in poverty and support themselves by travelling while engaging in begging, waste picker, scavenging, or petty theft. In Western ...
. Upon capture, Johnson was quickly forced into confessing through harassment and torture, implicating Squire Taylor and Charles Davis, two other black Charlestown residents in his confession as well. After being arrested, all three men were found not guilty, but were ordered to be held in the Charlestown jail. Upon arriving, the men were met by a crowd of local community members in Ku Klux Klan disguises. Johnson, Taylor, and Davis were drug out of the jail, miles away into the woods where they would be lynched. The men's remains were carted back into town and are buried in the Charlestown cemetery. The cruel treatment of the three men was very controversial, leading to a lawsuit between the Sheriff and the victims' families. Blaming the event on the KKK and mob violence, Indiana's Governor Conrad Baker campaigned for the federal government to provide aid and assistance in suppressing illegal organizations and mob violence. In 2022, the Indiana State Senate officially recognized the innocence of the victims. Senator Chris Garten and Mayor Treva Hodges have both expressed interest in erecting a historical marker memorializing the event.


20th & 21st Century

In 1940 the population of Charlestown was 900, but it swelled to 13,400 due to the building and operation of the Indiana Army Ammunition Plant (INAAP). This created a housing problem, as chicken, wood, and wash houses had to house all the new residents who flocked to the area for the jobs created by the INAAP. Additional problems caused by the rapid influx of new residents were improper sanitation at restaurants, inefficient sewers, gambling, panhandling, and diseases such as
typhoid Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by ''Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often ther ...
and
malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...
. In 2014, the city announced they would be applying for a grant to redevelop Pleasant Ridge Subdivision, an impoverished area within the city. Some residents of the Pleasant Ridge Subdivision formed an association to fight against demolishing their homes via
eminent domain Eminent domain, also known as land acquisition, compulsory purchase, resumption, resumption/compulsory acquisition, or expropriation, is the compulsory acquisition of private property for public use. It does not include the power to take and t ...
. The City Council did not call for a vote on the issue and the grant issue failed. Starting in 2016, the city was accused of using excessive fines against homeowners in the subdivision in order to force them to sell to a private developer.


Geography

According to the 2010 census, Charlestown has a total area of , of which (or 99.66%) is land and (or 0.34%) is water.


Demographics


2020 Census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2020, there were 7,775 people and 3,193 households residing in the city. 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 3,227 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.1%
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 ...
, 1.8%
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 ...
, 1.0% Native American, 0.5% Asian, and 2.1% 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 4.2% of the population.


2010 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 7,585 people, 2,884 households, and 2,034 families residing in the city. 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 3,169 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.9%
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 ...
, 2.1%
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, 0.3% Asian, 5.3% from other races, and 2.1% 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 8.3% of the population. There were 2,884 households, of which 39.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% 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, 17.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.5% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.09. The median age in the city was 35.2 years. 28.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.5% were from 25 to 44; 24.2% were from 45 to 64; and 11.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.5% male and 52.5% female.


2000 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 5,993 people, 2,341 households, and 1,615 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,489 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.91%
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 ...
, 2.47%
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 ...
, 0.27% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.07%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 2.77% from other races, and 1.35% 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 5.32% of the population. There were 2,341 households, out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% 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, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.03. In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.0% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,238, and the median income for a family was $35,592. Males had a median income of $27,240 versus $21,901 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 city was $13,892. About 15.8% of families and 19.2% 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 ...
, including 23.8% of those under age 18 and 17.8% of those age 65 or over.


Common Council

The Common Council of the City of Charlestown meets for its regular business meeting on the first Monday of the month, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the council chambers of City Hall, located at 304 Main Cross Street, Charlestown, Indiana. The Council is the legislative body of the government of the City of Charlestown, responsible for drafting and approving ordinances and resolutions that affect all Charlestown residents.


Council members

* Councilperson At Large - Chuck Deaton * District 1 Councilperson - Bo Bertram * District 2 Councilperson - Ronald Blevins * District 3 Councilperson - Shannon Elder * District 4 Councilperson - Brian Hester


Education

Charlestown has numerous public schools, under the Greater Clark County Schools school district. Notable schools include: Pleasant Ridge Elementary School, Jonathan Jennings Elementary School, Charlestown Middle School, and Charlestown High School. Charlestown has a public library, a branch of the Charlestown-Clark County Public Library.


Notable people

*
Michael Cleveland Charles Michael Cleveland (born September 18, 1980) is an American bluegrass fiddle player. Early life Cleveland was born in Henryville, Indiana. He was born completely blind and a childhood ear infection caused him to lose 80% of his hearing ...
, award-winning bluegrass
fiddle A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...
player * Mary Garrett Hay, suffragist * Steve Hamilton, former NBA and MLB player * George Howk, Justice of the
Indiana Supreme Court The Indiana Supreme Court, established by Article 7 of the Indiana Constitution, is the highest judicial authority in the state of Indiana. Located in Indianapolis, the Court's chambers are in the north wing of the Indiana Statehouse. In Dec ...
*
Jonathan Jennings Jonathan Jennings (March 27, 1784 – July 26, 1834) was an American politician who was the first governor of the State of Indiana and a nine-term congressman from Indiana. Born in either Hunterdon County, New Jersey, or Rockbridge County, Vi ...
, first Indiana state Governor * Travis Meeks, front-man of
Days of the New Days of the New was an American rock band from Charlestown, Indiana, formed in 1995. The band later relocated to Louisville, Kentucky. They consisted of vocalist/guitarist Travis Meeks and a variety of supporting musicians. They are best know ...
* Nina Payne, an American dancer in 1920s Paris * Zach Payne, member of the
Indiana House of Representatives The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House mem ...
*
James Scott James Scott may refer to: Entertainment * James Scott (composer) (1885–1938), African-American ragtime composer * James Scott (director) (born 1941), British filmmaker * James Scott (actor) (born 1979), British television actor * James Scott (Sh ...
, Justice of the
Indiana Supreme Court The Indiana Supreme Court, established by Article 7 of the Indiana Constitution, is the highest judicial authority in the state of Indiana. Located in Indianapolis, the Court's chambers are in the north wing of the Indiana Statehouse. In Dec ...
* Jesse Vest, bass player,
Days of the New Days of the New was an American rock band from Charlestown, Indiana, formed in 1995. The band later relocated to Louisville, Kentucky. They consisted of vocalist/guitarist Travis Meeks and a variety of supporting musicians. They are best know ...
, Tantric *
Days of the New Days of the New was an American rock band from Charlestown, Indiana, formed in 1995. The band later relocated to Louisville, Kentucky. They consisted of vocalist/guitarist Travis Meeks and a variety of supporting musicians. They are best know ...
, rock band


References


External links


City of Charlestown, Indiana website
{{authority control Cities in Indiana Louisville metropolitan area Cities in Clark County, Indiana Indiana populated places on the Ohio River 1808 establishments in Indiana Territory Populated places established in 1808