LaGrange 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 the U.S. 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 ...

. As of 2020, the population was 40,446. 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 ...

is LaGrange, Indiana. The county is located in the Northern Indiana region known as Michiana and is about east of

South Bend South Bend is a city in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. It lies along the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. It is the List of cities in ...

, west of

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the List of cities in Ohio, fourth-most populous city in Ohio and List of United Sta ...

, and northeast of

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

. The area is well known for its large

Amish The Amish (, also or ; ; ), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptism, Anabaptist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, church fellowships with Swiss people, Swiss and Alsace, Alsatian origins. As they ...

population. For that reason, the county teams up with neighboring Elkhart County to promote tourism by referring to the area as Northern Indiana Amish Country. About half of LaGrange County is

, and it is home to the third-largest Amish community in the United States, which belongs to the Elkhart-LaGrange Amish affiliation.

History

The first settlement of LaGrange County was founded about a half mile west of

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

in 1828. Over the next four years, settlers flocked to parts of Lima, Springfield, and Van Buren Townships. Finally in 1832, LaGrange County was carved out of neighboring Elkhart County and established with Lima as the county seat.http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~inlagran/lghist.html The town of

LaGrange Joseph-Louis Lagrange (born Giuseppe Luigi LagrangiaHowe in 1909. LaGrange was laid out and

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Survey System, Public Lands Surveys to ...

ted in 1836. LaGrange County's initial settlers were Yankee immigrants, that is to say, they were 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 ...

. They were descended from the English Puritans who settled that region in the colonial era. They were part of a wave of

settlers moving west into what was then the

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 ...

after the completion of the Erie Canal. The original settlers in LaGrange County specifically hailed from the

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

counties of Worcester County, Suffolk County and Berkshire County; the

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

counties of Hartford County and Windham County as well as the

towns of Sherman, Lebanon and Fairfield; and from the

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

towns of Burlington, Brookfield, Huntington and Grand Isle. They were mainly members of the Congregational Church, but as a result of the Second Great Awakening, many became Baptists and many also converted to

Pentecostalism Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...

and

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 ...

. When they arrived in LaGrange County, there was nothing but a virgin forest and wild prairie. The

settlers cleared roads, built farms, constructed churches, erected government buildings, and established post routes. As a result of this migration, LaGrange County was culturally continuous with early

culture for many years. In 1837, the government removed Chief Shipshewana and the Potawatomi Tribe from the county's northwest corner. Several years later, the Chief was allowed to return and died in Newbury Township in 1841. A town named Georgetown had been platted in 1837 but was abandoned because of lack of development. In 1844, the first Amish came from Pennsylvania to settle around the old town. The village continued to grow, and the town of Shipshewana was platted nearby in 1899 and incorporated in 1916 in Newbury Township. LaGrange County was named after the Château de la Grange-Bléneau, home of Revolutionary War hero, the

Marquis de la Fayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de La Fayette (; 6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (), was a French military officer and politician who volunteered to join the Conti ...

, outside of Paris, France.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 98.17%) is land and (or 1.83%) is water. The county is mostly made up of rural farmland but also some rolling hills and several lakes.

Adjacent counties

* St. Joseph County, Michigan (northwest) * Branch County, Michigan (northeast) * Steuben County (east) * Noble County (south) * Elkhart County (west)

Transportation

Major highways

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in LaGrange have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in December 2000 and a record high of was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in June.

Demographics

2020 census

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 37,128 people, 11,598 households, and 9,106 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 14,094 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 96.6% white, 0.3% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.7% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 36.1% were German, 13.3% were American, 6.4% were Irish, and 6.4% were English. Of the 11,598 households, 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.6% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 21.5% were non-families, and 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 3.17, and the average family size was 3.66. The median age was 30.4 years. The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $53,793. Males had a median income of $40,960 versus $29,193 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,388. About 12.1% of families and 16.0% 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 23.5% of those under age 18 and 16.6% of those age 65 or over.

Amish community

Jrb 20071024 Mennonite Amish buggy Shipshewana Indiana

Approximately 43% of the population of LaGrange County is

, as the county is home to the third-largest Amish community in the United States and belongs to the Elkhart-LaGrange Amish affiliation. This is reflected in the linguistic situation in the county: 28.45% of the population report speaking German, Pennsylvania German, or Dutch at home. 68.5% of the total population and 61.29% of the children in 5-17 age group used English as their home language, according to 2000 Census. The Amish languages (German, Pennsylfaansch, and Dutch) were used by 28.47% of the total population and 35.77% of them. As of 2020 census, Terry Martin, president of the LaGrange County Commissioners, said that "the Amish-English ratio is about 50-50", also adding that the nearly 9% growth, or 3,318 people etween 2010 and 2020 censuses was mainly due to the increasing Amish population.

Religion

*"Nones" is an unclear category. It is a heterogenous group of the not religious and intermittently religious. Researchers argue that most of the "Nones" should be considered "unchurched", rather than objectively nonreligious; especially since most "Nones" do hold some religious-spiritual beliefs and a notable amount participate in behaviors. For example, 72% of American "Nones" believe in God or a Higher Power.

Communities

Towns

LaGrange Joseph-Louis Lagrange (born Giuseppe Luigi LagrangiaShipshewana * Topeka * Wolcottville (partially in Noble County)

Townships

* Bloomfield *

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 ...

* Clearspring * Eden * Greenfield * Johnson *

* Milford * Newbury * Springfield * Van Buren

Census-designated place

* Howe

Other unincorporated communities

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

* Brushy Prairie * Elmira * Emma * Gravel Beach * Greenwood * Hartzel * Honeyville * Indianola * Lakeside Park * Lakeview * Mongo * Northwood * Oak Lodge *

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

* Pashan *

Plato Plato ( ; Greek language, Greek: , ; born BC, died 348/347 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical Greece, Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the writte ...

* Ramblewood * River Oaks * Scott * Sha-Get Acres * Shady Nook * South Milford * Star Mill * Stroh * Tall Timbers * Timberhurst * Twin Lakes * Valentine * Webers Landing * Witmer Manor * Woodland Hills * Woodland Park * Woodruff

Economy

The economy is based mainly on agriculture and small shops, but tourism also plays a big role, especially in Shipshewana.

Government

The county is led by a board of three elected commissioners that serve as the county government's executive branch. The county council comprises 7 elected members – four from each council district and 3 at large. Also, one assessor serves the entire county as opposed to one for every township. The current county commissioners are: * North District: Terry Martin * Middle District: Kevin Myers * South District: Peter Cook The current county council members are: * Charles F. Ashcraft D - District 1 * Ryan Riegsecker R- District 2 * Harold Gingerich R - District 3 * Jim Young R - District 4 * Jeff Brill R - At Large * Steve McKowen R - At Large * Mike Strawser R - At Large LaGrange County is part of Indiana's 3rd congressional district; Indiana Senate district 13; and Indiana House of Representatives districts 18 and 52. LaGrange County has consistently been a Republican Party stronghold in presidential elections. In only three elections since 1888 has a Republican candidate failed to win the county, most recently in 1964.

Education

The county has three public school districts.

Public schools

The Lakeland School Corporation serve the central part of the county. The system includes Lakeland Primary: Grades (k-2), Lakeland Intermediate: grades (3-6), and Lakeland Jr/Sr High: grades (7-12). The Prairie Heights School Corporation serves the east side of the county and parts of Steuben County. The mascot of Prairie Heights School is a black panther. The Westview School Corporation serves the west portion of the county. This system consists of four elementary schools (Meadowview, Shipshewana-Scott, Topeka, and Westview) and one junior-senior high school named Westview.

Private schools

Several Amish schools are located across the county.

Public library

LaGrange County is served by the LaGrange County Public Library, with branches in LaGrange, Shipshewana, and Topeka.

References

External links

LaGrange County web site

LaGrange County Amish Tourism
{{DEFAULTSORT:LaGrange County, Indiana 1832 establishments in Indiana Populated places established in 1832 Amish in Indiana Indiana counties