Decatur is a city in
Root
In vascular plants, the roots are the plant organ, organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often bel ...
and
Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
townships,
Adams 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. It is 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 the largest community) of Adams County. Decatur is home to Adams Memorial Hospital, which was designated as one of the "Top 100" Critical Access Hospitals in the United States. The population of Decatur was 9,913 at the 2020 census, up from 9,405 at the 2010 census.
History
Founding
The first non-Native American settlers arrived in what is now Decatur in 1835. They arrived as a result of the end of the
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans led by Black Hawk (Sauk leader), Black Hawk, a Sauk people, Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of ...
as well as the completion of the
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east–west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigability, navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, ...
. They consisted entirely of settlers from
New England
New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
. These were "
Yankee
The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Their various meanings depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, the Northeastern United Stat ...
" settlers, that is to say they were descended from the
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Culture, language and peoples
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
* ''English'', an Amish ter ...
Puritans
The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to rid the Church of England of what they considered to be Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should b ...
who settled
New England
New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
in the colonial era. They were primarily members of the
Congregational Church
Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice congregational government. Each congregation independently a ...
though due to the
Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening was a Protestant religious revival during the late 18th to early 19th century in the United States. It spread religion through revivals and emotional preaching and sparked a number of reform movements. Revivals were a k ...
many of them had converted to
Methodism
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
and some had become
Baptists
Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
before coming to what is now Decatur. The Congregational Church subsequently has gone through many divisions and some factions are now known as the
Church of Christ Church of Christ may refer to:
Church groups
* Christianity, the Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ
* Christian Church, an ecclesiological term used by denominations to describe the true body of Christia ...
and
Church of God. When the
New England
New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
settlers arrived in what is now Decatur there was nothing but a dense virgin forest and wild prairie.
Decatur was founded by Samuel Rugg in 1836. It was named for
Stephen Decatur, Jr., one of the captains of the original six frigates of the US navy. A post office was established in Decatur in 1837. Decatur was incorporated in 1853
Post-Civil War history
After the
Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
, Decatur was known as a
sundown town
Sundown towns, also known as sunset towns, gray towns, or sundowner towns, were all-white municipalities or neighborhoods in the United States. They were towns that practiced a form of racial segregation by excluding non-whites via some combinati ...
, where
African Americans
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa ...
were discriminated against and eventually run out of the town completely in 1902.
In a ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' article published on July 14, 1902, the headline read, "Negro Driven Away," and it recounted the story of the violent mob attacks which drove away African Americans from Decatur during the summer of 1902. The last line from the article explicitly concluded, "The anti-negroites declare that as Decatur is now cleared of Negroes they will keep it so, and the importation of any more will undoubtedly result in serious trouble."
A month before the last Black person was reportedly forced out of Decatur, the ''
Indianapolis Freeman
The ''Indianapolis Freeman'' (1884–1926) was the first illustrated black newspaper in the United States. Founder and owner Louis Howland, who was soon replaced by Edward Elder Cooper, published its first print edition on November 20, 1884.
H ...
'' reported that 50 men began driving the Black people out because they "were determined that colored people should not live in the town." Eventually African Americans began slowly settling in town; however, due to the sundown policies that persisted throughout much of the 1900s, the current demographics still indicate a low percentage of Black residents.
Geography
According to the
2010 United States census, Decatur has a total area of , of which (or 99.9%) is land and (or 0.1%) is water.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 census there were 9,913 people and 4,278 households. The population density was .
There were 4,572 housing units at an average density of .
The racial makeup of the city was 91.1%
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 ...
, 7.3%
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,
1.2%
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 ...
, 0.1%
Native American or Alaska Native, and 0.5% from two or more races.
96.1% speak English and 3.4% speak Spanish at home. All residents of Decatur were citizens. The ancestral background of most residents was 33.3% German, 7.1% English, and 6.9% Irish.
The average age for Decatur residents was 40.5 years. Of the total population, 6.8% were veterans and 15.8% have a visible or non-visible disability.
An estimated 4.6% of residents are uninsured.
Of the 4,278 households, 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% 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, 35% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 27.3% of the residents were never married.
The average household size was 2.24.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,149, and the median income for a family was $58,542. 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 $23,059. Additionally, 13.9% 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 ...
, a 57.4% difference from the 2020 census.
This includes 15.4% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over. There was a total of 4,572 housing units, with 64.3% being owned by residents and 12.5% being rented.
Of the total residents of Decatur, 43.9% have a high school or equivalent degree and 12.9 have a bachelor's degree or higher. The latter is 70% lower than the state average. The majority of residents work in manufacturing (37.4%), education, social services and health care (14.2%) and retail (13.6%).
Only 76.3% of residents had broadband internet access, in contrast to 80.1% of state residents.
Government

The government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of five members. Four are elected from individual districts. One is elected at-large. A clerk-treasurer is also elected in citywide vote.
Education
The local high school in Decatur is
Bellmont High School
Bellmont High School is a public high school located in Decatur, Indiana, United States. It was founded in 1967.
Bellmont is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and is rated as a comprehensive high school by the In ...
; approximately 700 students attend BHS. Local elementary and middle school students attend Bellmont Elementary School and Bellmont Middle School. St. Joseph Catholic School serves students in grades K-8. Zion Lutheran School, Wyneken Memorial Lutheran School, and St. Peter-Immanuel Lutheran School also serve students in grades PK-8.
Decatur has a public library, a branch of the Adams Public Library System.
Media
Decatur is home to one newspaper, ''The Decatur Daily Democrat'', which was founded in 1857.
Healthcare
Decatur is home to the Adams Memorial Hospital which was designated as one of the "Top 100" Critical Access Hospitals in the United States. The hospital was established on June 30, 1923, during election day in Adams County After voters were posed with a question of constructing a county hospital.
Architecture
Decatur is also known for its modern architecture, with over 18 sculptures throughout its downtown area.
Notable people
*
David Anspaugh
David Anspaugh (born September 24, 1946) is an American television and film director.
Professional career
After earning a bachelor's degree from Indiana University Bloomington, Anspaugh moved to Aspen, Colorado, where he worked as a substitute t ...
,
television
Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
and
film director
A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...
, ''
Hoosiers'', ''
Rudy
Rudy or Rudi is a masculine given name, sometimes short for Rudolf, Rudolph, Rawad, Rudra, Ruairidh, or variations thereof, a nickname and a surname which may refer to:
People Given name or nickname
*Rudolf Rudy Andeweg (born 1952), Dutch poli ...
''
*
John Fetzer
John Earl Fetzer (March 25, 1901 – February 20, 1991) was an American radio and television executive who was best known as the part-owner of the Detroit Tigers from 1956 to 1961 and sole owner from 1961 through 1983. Under his ownership, the 1 ...
, former owner of
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
*
Bob Hite, Sr., radio and television announcer for CBS
*
David Smith, Sculptor
See also
*
Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures
The Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures was created in 1981 by the Indiana General Assembly. The Survey and Registration Section of the Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology oversees this state register. All pla ...
*
List of sundown towns in the United States
A sundown town is a municipality or neighborhood within the United States that practices or once practiced a form of racial segregation characterized by intimidation, hostility, or violence among White people directed toward non-Whites, especial ...
*
* ''
Peace Monument
The Peace Monument, also known as the Navy Monument, Naval Monument or Navy-Peace Monument, stands on the western edge of the United States Capitol Complex in Washington, D.C. It is in the middle of Peace Circle, where First Street and Pennsy ...
''
References
External links
*
*
Decatur Daily Democrat'
Decatur Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control
Cities in Adams County, Indiana
Cities in Indiana
Micropolitan areas of Indiana
County seats in Indiana
Populated places established in 1836
1836 establishments in Indiana
Racially motivated violence against African Americans in Indiana
Sundown towns in Indiana