Geneva is a town in

Wabash Township, Adams County, Indiana Wabash Township is one of twelve townships in Adams County, Indiana. As of the 2020 census, its population was 6,545, up from 6,223 at the 2010 census. Geography According to the 2010 census, the township has a total area of , of which (or 9 ...

. The population was 1,257 at the time of the 2020 census. Geneva is the location of the Limberlost Cabin, the home of writer and naturalist

Gene Stratton-Porter Gene Stratton-Porter (August 17, 1863 – December 6, 1924), born Geneva Grace Stratton, was an American writer, nature photographer, and naturalist from Wabash County, Indiana. In 1917 Stratton-Porter urged legislative support for the Habitat co ...

from 1895-1913.

History

Geneva had its start in 1871 when the rival towns of Alexander and Buffalo merged. It was named after

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

, in Switzerland. The first post office in Geneva was established in 1872. Geneva incorporated as a town in early 1874. The Town of Geneva benefited greatly from the

Indiana Gas Boom The Indiana gas boom was a period of active drilling and production of natural gas in the Trenton Gas Field, in the US state of Indiana and the adjacent northwest part of Ohio. The boom began in the early 1880s and lasted into the early 20th cent ...

of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Oil was found near Geneva and production began in 1892. This brought many new settlers to the area and skyrocketed local land prices. At its height in November 1895, one company, the Buckeye Pipe Line Company, had 160 oil wells in the Geneva field producing 24,362 barrels a month. Production fell off after 1907. Charles D. Porter and his wife,

, who lived in Geneva from 1886-1913, owned roughly 30 oil wells in the area, and used the proceeds to build Limberlost Cabin in 1895.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Geneva has a total area of , of which (or 88.62%) is land and (or 11.38%) is water.

Demographics

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 1,293 people, 570 households, and 349 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 627 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 94.6%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 3.2% from other races, and 1.2% 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 5.4% of the population. There were 570 households, of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% 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, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.8% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age in the town was 41.1 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.3% were from 25 to 44; 28.3% were from 45 to 64; and 18% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,368 people, 584 households, and 369 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 621 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.25%

, 0.37%

, 0.22% Asian, 0.29% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.10% of the population. There were 584 households, out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were

living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.96. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $33,942, and the median income for a family was $41,645. Males had a median income of $31,895 versus $21,552 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 $16,435. About 9.5% of families and 11.9% 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 ...

, including 23.0% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Geneva has a public library, a branch of the Adams Public Library System. Geneva is located in the South Adams Schools District.

Notable people

* L. S. Buckmaster (1894–1967), labor union leader * Robert O. Fink, classics professor *

(1863–1924), best-selling author, nature photographer, naturalist, and

silent movie ''Silent Movie'' is a 1976 American satirical silent comedy film co-written, directed by and starring Mel Brooks, released by 20th Century Fox in summer 1976. The ensemble cast includes Dom DeLuise, Marty Feldman, Bernadette Peters, and S ...

-era producer See also:

Notable structures

* Limberlost Cabin, completed in 1895, was the home Gene Stratton-Porter shared with her husband, Charles Porter, and their daughter, Jeannette (Geneva HS '05). The property was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1974. Designated as the Limberlost State Historic Site, it is operated by the

Indiana State Museum The Indiana State Museum is a museum located in Downtown Indianapolis, downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The museum houses exhibits on the science, art, culture, and history of Indiana from prehistoric times to the present day. His ...

and Historic Sites and open to the public. This includes and accompanying photographs

References

External links

Town of Geneva, Indiana
{{authority control Towns in Adams County, Indiana Towns in Indiana 1871 establishments in Indiana