Warsaw is a city in and 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 ...

of Kosciusko 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. Warsaw has a population of 15,804 as of the 2020 U.S. Census. Warsaw also borders a smaller town,

Winona Lake Winona Lake is a town in Wayne Township, Kosciusko County, in the U.S. state of Indiana, and the major suburb of Warsaw. Its population was 4,908 at the 2010 census. Geography Winona Lake is now contiguous to Warsaw, the two towns having merged ...

Etymology

Warsaw, named after

the capital ''The Capital'' (also known as ''Capital Gazette'' as its online nameplate and informally, while the Sunday edition is called ''The Sunday Capital'') is a daily newspaper published by Capital Gazette Communications in Annapolis, Maryland, to ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

in tribute to

Tadeusz Kościuszko Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko (; 4 or 12 February 174615 October 1817) was a Polish Military engineering, military engineer, statesman, and military leader who then became a national hero in Poland, the United States, Lithuania, and ...

, was

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 on October 21, 1836. Warsaw's post office was established in 1837.

History

Early Warsaw saw traders, trappers, and merchants supplying manufactured goods to area farmers. Because of the central location in the lake region, tourists soon began visiting Warsaw and eventually made permanent residences in the city, with industry soon following. In March 1854, Warsaw became a town, and the initial census on February 2, 1854, showed a total of 752 residents in the town limits. The

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad ( reporting mark PRR), legal name as the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, also known as the "Pennsy," was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At its ...

(then known as the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne, and Chicago Railroad) reached Warsaw in November 1854. The

Big Four Railroad The Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, also known as the Big Four Railroad and commonly abbreviated CCC&StL, was a railroad company in the Midwestern United States. It operated in affiliation with the New York Central system. ...

(Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St Louis) arrived in Warsaw in August 1870. Gas lights were installed in August 1880. Telephone lines were strung in 1882, with Dr. Eggleston having the first phone. The waterworks were constructed in 1885. Gas was supplemented with electricity in 1897, but gas was still used in many homes until 1915. In 1895, Revra DePuy founded DePuy Manufacturing in Warsaw to make wire mesh and wooden splints, becoming the world's first manufacturer of orthopedic appliances. In 1905, DePuy hired Justin Zimmer as a splint salesman. Zimmer broke away from DePuy in 1927 to start his orthopedic company with Joe Ettinger in the basement of Ettinger. Warsaw is now known as the "orthopaedic capital of the world." The Warsaw-based East Fort Wayne Street Historic District, Kosciusko County Jail, Warsaw Courthouse Square Historic District, Warsaw Cut Glass Company, and Justin Zimmer House are 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 ...

Geography

Warsaw occupies the area between Pike Lake, Hidden Lake and Center Lake (to the north) and Winona Lake (to the southeast). The Tippecanoe River passes through the West portion of Warsaw.

U.S. Route 30 U.S. Route 30 or U.S. Highway 30 (US 30) is an east–west main route of the United States Numbered Highway System, with the highway traveling across the Northern U.S. With a length of , it is the third-longest U.S. Highway, afte ...

and

Indiana State Road 15 State Road 15 (SR 15) is a north–south state road in northern part of the US state of Indiana. Its southern terminus is at U.S. Highway 35 (US 35) and SR 22 near Jonesboro and its northern terminus is the Michigan state line, north of Br ...

both pass through town, while

Indiana State Road 25 State Road 25 is a highway in the U. S. state of Indiana. Although it is designated a north–south road, in practice it travels generally northeast from its southern terminus at State Road 32 (south of Waynetown and north of Shades Sta ...

begins on West Market Street while traffic is routed to West Winona Avenue along with State Road 15 after US Route 30 bypassed the downtown area. According to the 2010 census, Warsaw has a total area of , of which (or 89.64%) is land and (or 10.36%) is water.

Climate

Transportation

Airport

*KASW - Warsaw Municipal Airport

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 U.S. Census, there were 13,559 people, 5,461 households, and 3,311 families living in the city. 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 6,066 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.5%

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 ...

, 1.6%

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 ...

, 0.5% Native American, 2.2% Asian, 4.3% from other races, and 2.0% 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 10.4% of the population. There were 5,461 households, of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% 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, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.4% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.02. The median age in the city was 34.8 years. 25.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.2% were from 25 to 44; 24% were from 45 to 64; and 13.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 U.S. Census, there were 12,415 people, 4,794 households, and 3,068 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 5,101 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 70.50%

, 1.41%

, 0.39% Native American, 1.07% Asian, 0.02%

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 ...

, 5.25% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 29.21% of the population. There were 4,794 households, out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were

living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.11. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $36,564, and the median income for a family was $45,153. Males had a median income of $33,322 versus $22,284 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 city was $19,262. About 6.8% of families and 9.2% 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 8.7% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Kosciusko County Courthouse from southeast near sunset

Warsaw has an elected

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts record keeping as well as general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include Records managem ...

and

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...

-style of government. Officials are elected for four-year terms. Warsaw's current mayor is Republican Jeff Grose, who has served since January 1, 2024. Mike Hodges is Warsaw's longest-serving mayor who served for 5 terms.

Representatives - common council

The Warsaw Common Council is a seven-member legislative group that serve four-year terms. Five of the members represent specific districts; two are elected citywide as at-large council members. *Jack Wilhite: At-large *Cindy Dobbins: At-large * Juergen Voss 1st district *Josh Finch: 2nd district *Mike Klondaris: 3rd district *William "Jerry" Frush: 4th district *Diane Quance: 5th district *Lynne Christiansen: Clerk-Treasurer

Economy

Warsaw, known as the "Orthopedic Capital of the World", is home to the first

orthopedic Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternative spelling orthopaedics) is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...

device manufacturer, the DePuy Manufacturing Company, started in 1895 by Revra DePuy. Competitors, such as Zimmer, Inc. in 1927 and Biomet, Inc. in 1977, have subsequently been founded in Warsaw to support the industry. Several orthopedic suppliers are also present. Other companies headquartered in Warsaw are Da-Lite, makers of commercial and

home theater A home cinema, also called home theater, is a home entertainment audio-visual system that seeks to reproduce a movie theater experience and mood using consumer grade electronic video and audio equipment and is set up in a private home. In t ...

projection screen A projection screen is an installation consisting of a surface and a support structure used for displaying a projected image for the view of an audience. Projection screens may be permanently installed on a wall, as in a movie theater, mounte ...

LSC Communications LSC Communications is an American commercial printing company based in Chicago, Illinois, and, , a fully-owned subsidiary of Atlas Holdings. The company was established in 2016 as part of a corporate spin-off from RR Donnelley. It owns the publi ...

, a commercial

printing press A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a printing, print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in whi ...

; Dalton Foundry, a

malleable iron Malleable iron is cast as white iron, the structure being a metastable carbide in a pearlitic matrix. Through an annealing heat treatment, the brittle structure as first cast is transformed into the malleable form. Carbon agglomerates into smal ...

casting foundry; ABC Industries, a leader in mining ventilation products and industrial textile fabrics; Penguin Point, a defunct regional fast-food chain; Explorer Van, founded by Bob Kesler; and PayLeap, a payment gateway service provider. Historically, Warsaw was home to the Biltwell Basket Company.

Culture

Warsaw is home to the Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts, founded in 1956 and becoming a non-profit organization in 2011 featuring a "theatre in the round". Movies shot in Warsaw include '' American Teen'' by

Nanette Burstein Nanette Burstein (born May 23, 1970) is an American film and television director. Burstein has produced, directed, and co-directed several documentaries including the Academy Award nominated and Sundance Special Jury Prize winning film '' On the ...

which premiered at

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...

, New Life (film), produced by

Erin Bethea Erin Bethea (born August 12, 1982) is an American actress. She is known for appearing in Sherwood Pictures' films, ''Facing the Giants'' (2006) and ''Fireproof'' (2008). She wrote, produced, and starred in the film '' New Life'' (2016), directed b ...

, Long Gone By and Room 441. City Parks, the Lake City Greenway Trails, City County Athletic Complex (CCAC) and two golf courses offer citizens recreation. Central Park, which overlooks Center Lake, is host to regular concerts during the summer months. Center Lake Park includes the Warsaw Biblical Gardens which is a noted

Biblical garden Biblical gardens are cultivated collections of plants that are named in the Bible. They are a type of theme garden that botanical gardens, public parks, and private gardeners maintain. They are grown in many parts of the world, with many examples ...

. The Rotary Club of Warsaw was chartered on June 1, 1919, being one of the oldest clubs in the community and part of

Rotary International Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. The self-declared mission of Rotary, as stated on its website, is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and p ...

. residence.

Radio

WRSW-FM WRSW-FM (107.3 MHz) is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits format. Licensed to Warsaw, Indiana, United States, the station is owned by Kensington Digital Media of Indiana. The station was formerly owned by Talking Stick Communications, ...

, Classic Hits 107.3 is the 50,000-watt heritage station of the Warsaw community for over 70 years *"Willie 103.5" WAWC is Warsaw's Fun Country Station began broadcasting in Warsaw in November 2006 *News Now Warsaw 1480 AM and 99.7 FM ( WRSW-AM provides National and Local News and Information around the clock *

WLAB WLAB (88.3 MHz) is a non-commercial, listener-supported FM radio station in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It is owned by the Star Educational Media Network and broadcasts a Contemporary Christian radio format. It holds periodic on-air fundraisers to ...

, Star 88.3, broadcasts to the community, via its translator on FM radio frequency 90.9 FM *Oldies 101.1, (

WLQZ-LP WLQZ-LP is a broadcast radio station licensed to and serving Warsaw, Indiana, United States. As of June 2015, the station is on the air with a format of Top 40 music as ''Z93.9, Warsaw's Hit Music Station''. WLQZ-LP is owned and operated by Bles ...

), where they are "Always Playing a Better Oldie."

Education

* Alternative Learning Center, public school · grades 9-12 · 680 students * Charter College of Health and Massage Therapy * Certified Natural Health Professionals · Natural Health Education and Certification * Edgewood Middle School, public school · grades 7-8 · 887 students * Eisenhower Elementary School, public school · grades K-6 · 523 students *

Grace College Grace College & Grace Theological Seminary is a private evangelical Christian college in Winona Lake, Indiana. It comprises seven schools: The School of Ministry Studies, The School of Arts and Humanities, The School of Science and Engineerin ...

- Warsaw Campus * Harrison Elementary School, public school. grades K-6. 611 students * Indiana Tech - Warsaw Campus *

Ivy Tech Community College Ivy Tech Community College (Ivy Tech) is a public community college system in the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the state's public community college system and it has more than 40 locations. It is also the state's largest public postsecondary ins ...

- North Central Campus * Lakeland Christian Academy, private school · grades Pre K-12 * Lakeview Middle School, public school · grades 7-8 · 760 students * Lighthouse Christian Academy, private school · grades Pre K-12 454 students * Lincoln Elementary School, public school · grades K-6 · 456 students * Living Stone's Preparatory School, private school · grades Pre K-12 * Madison Elementary School, public school · grades K-6 · 563 students * Monarch Christian Academy, private School · grades K-12 · 23 students * Sacred Heart School, private school · grades Pre K-6 · 206 students * Trinity School of Natural Health · Distance Learning Natural Health Education *

Warsaw Community High School Warsaw Community High School (WCHS) is a public high school located in Warsaw, Indiana (U.S.), the county seat of Kosciusko County. It is in the Warsaw Community Schools district. The principal of WCHS is Troy Akers. The current building locate ...

, public school · grades 9-12 · 1,947 students * Washington STEM Academy, public school · grades K-6 · 555 students The city has a lending library, the Warsaw Community Public Library.

Notable people

* Whitey Bell,

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

ABL ABL may refer to: Aviation * Airborne Laser, a weapons system designed for use by the United States military * Air Busan of South Korea (ICAO airline code) * IATA airport code for Ambler Airport in State of Alaska, USA Companies, groups, organiz ...

player (1959–1963) *

Ambrose Bierce Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (June 24, 1842 – ) was an American short story writer, journalist, poet, and American Civil War veteran. His book '' The Devil's Dictionary'' was named one of "The 100 Greatest Masterpieces of American Literature" by the ...

, author of ''

The Devil's Dictionary ''The Devil's Dictionary'' is a satirical dictionary written by American journalist Ambrose Bierce, consisting of common words followed by humorous and satirical definitions. The lexicon was written over three decades as a series of installments ...

'' * Jack E. Bowers. Illinois state legislator and lawyer *

Howard Brubaker Howard Brubaker (June 26, 1882 - February 2, 1957) was an American magazine editor and writer. Brubaker was born in Warsaw, Indiana and attended Indiana University. In 1902 he moved to New York, where he lived at the University Settlement House f ...

, magazine editor and writer * Jesse E. Eschbach, jurist * David C. Fisher, author, pastor *

Rick Fox Ulrich Alexander Fox (born July 24, 1969) is a Bahamian-Canadian actor and former basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association for the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, and played college basketball for the North Caro ...

, actor and former

basketball player Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's ...

* Randy Heisler, Olympic athlete *

Scottie James David Scott James Jr (born November 7, 1996) is an American basketball player for the Hong Kong Bulls of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for the Bradley Braves and Liberty Flames. High school career James gre ...

(born 1996), basketball player in the

Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...

* Gary Kosins, NFL player * Hal Kratzsch, an original member of famed singing group

The Four Freshmen The Four Freshmen is an American male vocal quartet that blends close and open harmony, open-harmonic jazz arrangements with the big band vocal group sounds of The Modernaires, The Pied Pipers, and The Mel-Tones, founded in the Barbershop music, ...

* James R. Leininger, physician, founder of Kinetic Concepts *

Harrison Mevis Harrison Mevis (born March 27, 2002), nicknamed "The Thiccer Kicker," is an American professional football kicker for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Missouri Tigers. Early life Mevis a ...

, professional football player *

Nic Moore Nic Moore (born July 1, 1992) is an American professional basketball player. Moore played college basketball for the SMU Mustangs. He was named American Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016. Moore previously com ...

, professional basketball player *

Marshall Plumlee Marshall Harrison Plumlee (born July 14, 1992) is an American former professional basketball player and an active-duty United States Army Ranger School, Ranger-Qualified officer. He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils men's basketb ...

, professional basketball player *

Mason Plumlee Mason Alexander Plumlee (born March 5, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He primarily plays the forward and center positions. As a freshman in 2009–10, he was ...

, professional basketball player *

Miles Plumlee Miles Christian Plumlee (born September 1, 1988) is an American former professional basketball player. He played four years of college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils, winning a national championship in 2010. He was selected with the 26th ove ...

, professional basketball player * Max Truex, Olympic athlete

References

External links

*
Official Kosciusko County Visitors Bureau
* * {{authority control Cities in Indiana Cities in Kosciusko County, Indiana Micropolitan areas of Indiana County seats in Indiana