Henry County, Indiana
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Henry County is a
county 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 ...
located in east central
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 United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. As of 2020, the population was 48,914. 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 and only city is New Castle. Henry County is the main setting of the novel '' Raintree County'' by Ross Lockridge Jr.


History

Henry County was formed in 1822 from the Delaware New Purchase resulting from the Treaty of St. Mary's in 1818. It was named for Patriot
Patrick Henry Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736 ld Style and New Style dates, O.S. May 18, 1736une 6, 1799) was an American politician, planter and orator who declared to the Virginia Conventions, Second Virginia Convention (1775): "Give me liberty or give m ...
, governor of
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
.


Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 99.25%) is land and (or 0.75%) is water.


Cities

* New Castle


Towns


Unincorporated areas


Townships


Reservoirs

* Castle Lake * Giboney Lake * Haven, Lake * Summit Lake Reservoir * Westwood Park Reservoir


Adjacent counties

* Delaware County (north) * Randolph County (northeast) * Wayne County (east) * Fayette County (southeast) * Rush County (south) * Hancock County (southwest) * Madison County (northwest)


Major highways

Sources: National Atlas, U.S. Census Bureau * Interstate 70 * U.S. Route 35 * U.S. Route 36 * U.S. Route 40 * State Road 3 * State Road 38 * State Road 103 * State Road 109 * State Road 140 * State Road 234 * State Road 236


Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in New Castle 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 June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in January to in May.


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. County 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. County Courts: The county maintains three courts. Circuit Court I, Circuit Court II and Circuit Court III. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court. 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 ...
, coroner,
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, and circuit court clerk 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
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 ...
affiliations and to be residents of the county. Henry 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 district 28; 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 54 and 56.


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 48,914 people, 18,387 households, and 9,489 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 20,952 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 93.8%
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 ...
, 2.2%
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 ...
, 1.1% Asian, 0.02%
Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, Indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was set ...
or
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 ...
, 0.2% Native American or
Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...
, 0.8% from other races, and 3.4% 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 0.2% of the population. There were 18,387 households, of which 20.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% 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, 25.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 17.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 7.6% were non-families. 42.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 2.96. 26.8% of the population had never been married. 48.0% of residents were married and not separated, 7.0% were widowed, 16.4% were
divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganising of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the M ...
d, and 1.8% were separated. The median age in the town was 42.0. 5.0% of residents were under the age of 5; 20.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 79.3% were age 18 or older; and 18.9% were age 65 or older. 9.5% of the population were veterans. The most common language spoken at home was English with 98.5% speaking it at home, 1.0% spoke Spanish at home, 0.2% spoke other
Indo-European The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the northern Indian subcontinent, most of Europe, and the Iranian plateau with additional native branches found in regions such as Sri Lanka, the Maldives, parts of Central Asia (e. ...
languages, 0.2% spoke an
Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
n or
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 ...
language at home, and 0.1% spoke other languages. 0.5% of the population were foreign born. The median household income in Henry County was $51,104, 9.0% less than the median average for the state 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 ...
. 13.9% of the population were in poverty, including 19.3% of residents under the age of 18. The poverty rate for the town was 1% higher than that of the state. 18.5% of the population were
disabled Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physica ...
and 6.8% had no
healthcare Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...
coverage. 43.8% of the population had attained a
high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...
or equivalent degree, 21.1% had attended
college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary sc ...
but received no degree, 9.0% had attained an
Associate's degree An associate degree or associate's degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of academic qualification above a high school diploma and below a bachelor's degree. ...
or higher, 10.7% had attained a
Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
or higher, and 5.6% had a graduate or
professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who work (human activity), works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the partic ...
degree. 9.8% had no degree. 50.7% of Henry County residents were employed, working a mean of 40.0 hours per week. The median gross rent in Henry County was $697 and the homeownership rate was 74.4%. 1,998 housing units were vacant at a density of .


2010 Census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 49,462 people, 19,077 households, and 13,020 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 21,288 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 95.7% white, 2.2% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 19.9% were German, 13.3% were American, 11.8% were Irish, and 9.1% were English. Of the 19,077 households, 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.8% were non-families, and 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age was 41.4 years. The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $52,701. Males had a median income of $42,628 versus $30,226 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,879. About 10.2% of families and 13.7% 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 20.0% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.


Education

School districts include: * Blue River Valley Schools * C. A. Beard Memorial School Corporation * Nettle Creek School Corporation * New Castle Community School Corporation * Shenandoah School Corporation * South Henry School Corporation * Union School Corporation


Recreation

* Summit Lake State Park
Westwood Park


Notable people

*
Steve Alford Stephen Todd Alford (born November 23, 1964) is an American men's college basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach for the Nevada Wolf Pack men's basketball, Nevada Wolf Pack of the Mountain West Conference (MWC). ...
, NCAA basketball coach and former player * Kent Benson, Former NCAA and NBA basketball player * Edward Black, Civil War soldier * Omar Bundy, Major General, World War One * Clessie Cummins, inventor * John Charles Duncan, astronomer * Thomas J. Graves, Medal of Honor recipient * William Grose, Major General, Civil War * Ira Hough, Medal of Honor recipient, 1864 * Robert Indiana, artist * Arthur C. Mellette, first Governor of
South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...
* Solomon Meredith, Major General, Civil War * Edward E. Moore, Indiana state senator and Los Angeles City Council member * Wilbur Wright, aviation pioneer * William Zion, Medal of Honor recipient


See also

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Henry County, Indiana


References


Further reading

* ( ) * ( })


External links


New Castle Henry County Chamber of Commerce

Henry County Convention & Visitors Bureau

Henry County Government Site

Henry County collection
Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library {{Authority control Indiana counties 1822 establishments in Indiana Populated places established in 1822