Dearborn County is one of 92
counties
A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
of 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 so ...
of
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 ...
. Located on the Ohio border near the southeast corner of the state, Dearborn County was formed in 1803 from a portion of Hamilton County, Ohio. In 2020, the population was 50,679.
The
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
and largest city is
Lawrenceburg.
Dearborn County is part of the
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
In 1803, following Ohio's
admission to the Union
Admission to the Union is provided by the Admissions Clause of the United States Constitution in Article IV, Section 3, Clause 1, which authorizes the United States Congress to admit new states into the Union beyond the thirteen states that ...
, a wedge, or pie shaped, remnant of the former
Northwest Territory
The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from part of the unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolution. Established ...
along Ohio's southwestern border was ceded to
Indiana Territory
The Indiana Territory, officially the Territory of Indiana, was created by an organic act that President of the United States, President John Adams signed into law on May 7, 1800, to form an Historic regions of the United States, organized incor ...
and organized as Dearborn County. It was named after
Henry Dearborn
Henry Dearborn (February 23, 1751 – June 6, 1829) was an American military officer and politician. In the Revolutionary War, he served under Benedict Arnold in his expedition to Quebec, of which his journal provides an important record ...
who was
U.S. Secretary of War at that time.
Lawrenceburg was then designated as the county seat.
All or part of seven other present day counties were carved from the original county with the present boundaries being established in 1845. The region, nicknamed the "Gore", slices through the present-day counties of Dearborn,
Franklin,
Ohio
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
,
Randolph,
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
,
Union,
Wayne and
Fayette.
Subdivision of Dearborn County began in 1811 with the formation of Franklin and Wayne Counties, followed by Switzerland in 1814.
Early growth in the region was centered on Lawrenceburg which became an important railroad junction connecting two of the regions major rail lines. A contention existed between the towns of Lawrenceburg and the mostly German-speaking immigrants that dominated
Rising Sun over the favored status of Lawrenceburg as the county seat. The rivalry between the two towns was resolved in 1844 when the Indiana State legislature separated the portion of Dearborn County south of
Laughery Creek and created the last and smallest Indiana county,
county of Ohio on March 1, 1844, with Rising Sun designated as its county seat.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 99.22%) is land and (or 0.77%) is water.
Part of the southeastern county line is formed by the
Ohio River
The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...
.
Cities
*
Aurora
An aurora ( aurorae or auroras),
also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...
*
Lawrenceburg
*
Greendale
Towns
*
Dillsboro
*
Moores Hill
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Saint Leon
*
West Harrison
Census-designated places
*
Bright
*
Hidden Valley
Other unincorporated communities
*
Bonnell
*
Braysville
*
Chesterville
*
Cochran
*
Cold Springs
*
Dover
Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...
*
Farmers Retreat
*
Guilford
*
Hardinsburg
*
Hubbells Corner
*
Kyle
*
Lawrenceville
*
Logan
*
Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
*
Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai, also known as Jabal Musa (), is a mountain on the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. It is one of several locations claimed to be the Mount Sinai (Bible), biblical Mount Sinai, the place where, according to the sacred scriptures of the thre ...
*
New Alsace
*
Sparta
Sparta was a prominent city-state in Laconia in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (), while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement in the Evrotas Valley, valley of Evrotas (river), Evrotas rive ...
*
Weisburg
*
Wilmington
*
Wrights Corner
*
Yorkville
Townships
*
Caesar Creek
*
Center
*
Clay
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...
*
Harrison
*
Hogan
A hogan ( or ; from Navajo ' ) is the primary, traditional dwelling of the Navajo people. Other traditional structures include the summer shelter, the underground home, and the sweat house. A hogan can be round, cone-shaped, multi-sided, or squ ...
*
Jackson
*
Kelso
*
Lawrenceburg
*
Logan
*
Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
*
Miller
A miller is a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a grain (for example corn or wheat) to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents ...
*
Sparta
Sparta was a prominent city-state in Laconia in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (), while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement in the Evrotas Valley, valley of Evrotas (river), Evrotas rive ...
*
Washington
*
York
York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
Adjacent counties
*
Franklin County (north)
*
Butler County,
Ohio
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
(northeast)
*
Hamilton County,
Ohio
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
(east)
*
Boone County,
Kentucky
Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
(southeast)
*
Ohio County (south)
*
Ripley County (west)
Climate
In recent years, average temperatures in Lawrenceburg have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of was recorded in July 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in September to in May.
Major highways
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*
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Demographics
At the
2010 United States Census, there were 50,047 people, 18,743 households and 13,773 families residing in the county.
The population density was . There were 20,171 housing units at an average density of .
The racial makeup of the county was 97.5% white, 0.6% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.3% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.0% of the population.
In terms of ancestry, 46.5% were
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
, 19.2% were
Irish, 11.4% were
English, and 7.8% were
American.
Of the 18,743 households, 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 26.5% were non-families, and 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.07. The median age was 40.0 years.
The
median household income
The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...
was $47,697 and the median family income was $66,561. Males had a median income of $45,270 and females $33,353. The per capita income was $25,023. About 4.5% of families and 7.2% 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 8.5% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.
2020 census
Government
The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the
Constitution of Indiana, and by the
Indiana Code.
County Council: The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.
[There are seven members of council from four districts and three elected at large.
District 1-Elizabeth Morris (Council President) Republican
District 2-Dan Lansing Democrat
District 3-Kevin Turner Republican
District 4- Denny Kraus Republican
At large- Allen Goodman (Vice-President) Republican, Tim Doll Republican, and Glenn Wright Republican. ]
Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.
[
Court: Dearborn County's courts consist of a Circuit Court, presided over by the Honorable James Humphrey (shared with Ohio County in the only such arrangement in the state) and two Superior Courts, the Honorable Jonathan Cleary, presiding over Dearborn County Superior Court No. 1 and the Honorable Sally McLaughlin, presiding over Dearborn County z Superior Court No. 2. Judges are elected to six-year terms. Lawrenceburg also has City Courts, presided over by the Honorable Joseph R. Johns. The Lawrenceburg City Court Judge serves a four-year term.
County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including ]sheriff
A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...
, prosecuting attorney
A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the adversarial system, which is adopted in common law, or inquisitorial system, which is adopted in civil law. The prosecution is the legal party responsible ...
, coroner
A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death. The official may also investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...
, auditor
An auditor is a person or a firm appointed by a company to execute an audit.Practical Auditing, Kul Narsingh Shrestha, 2012, Nabin Prakashan, Nepal To act as an auditor, a person should be certified by the regulatory authority of accounting an ...
, treasurer
A treasurer is a person responsible for the financial operations of a government, business, or other organization.
Government
The treasury of a country is the department responsible for the country's economy, finance and revenue. The treasure ...
, recorder, surveyor
Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. These points are usually on the ...
, and circuit court clerk
A court clerk (British English: clerk to the court or clerk of the court ; American English: clerk of the court or clerk of court ) is an officer of the court whose responsibilities include maintaining records of a court and administering oaths ...
. Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare a party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a Hospitality, host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will oft ...
affiliation and to be residents of the county.[
Dearborn County is part of ]Indiana's 6th congressional district
Indiana's 6th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Indiana. The district takes in a portion of eastern and central Indiana as of the 2020 census, including Columbus, Indiana, Columbus and Richmond, Indiana, Ric ...
; Indiana Senate
The Indiana State Senate is the upper house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The Senate is composed of 50 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. Senators serve four-year ...
district 43; and 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 ...
districts 55 and 68.
Infrastructure
Major highways
* Interstate 74
Interstate 74 (I-74) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western end is at an interchange with I-80 in Davenport, Iowa; the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an interchange with I-75 in ...
* Interstate 275
* U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlantic ...
* U.S. Route 52
U.S. Route 52 (US 52) is a major U.S. Highway in the Central United States that extends from the northern to southeastern region of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S. Highways, US 52 primarily follows a north ...
* State Road 1
* State Road 46
* State Road 48
* State Road 56
* State Road 62
* State Road 148
* State Road 262
* State Road 350
Notable people
* Nick Goepper professional slopestyle skier, three-time winter Olympic medalist
* Erwin "Cannonball" Baker, motorcycle and auto racer, 1989 inductee in Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
* John Whiteaker, first state Governor of Oregon
The governor of Oregon is the head of government of Oregon and serves as the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. ter ...
from 1859 until 1862 and Oregon's Congressman from 1879 to 1881
* Jim Lyttle, professional baseball player
* Lonnie Mack, influential guitar soloist of early rock 'n' roll
* Louis Skidmore, architect that co-founded Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
SOM, an initialism of its original name Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, is a Chicago-based architectural, urban planning, and engineering firm. It was founded in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings. In 1939, they were joined by engineer ...
See also
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Dearborn County, Indiana
References
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
Indiana counties
1803 establishments in Indiana Territory
Populated places established in 1803
Indiana counties on the Ohio River