White County, Indiana

White County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 24,688. The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Monticello.

History

The first white settlers in the future White County arrived in the land west of Tippecanoe River in 1829, and in other parts of the county in 1831. This area was part of Carroll County during that period.

By 1833, so many settlers had entered the area that the state legislature were pressured to have a separate county created. On February 1, 1834, the state approved the creation of this county, directing that it be named for Isaac White, a colonel in the Illinois militia. White was a mining geologist who was in charge of the salt works in Equality, Illinois, and was a close friend to Governor William Henry Harrison of the Northwest Territory, and to Joseph Hamilton Daveiss, U.S. District Attorney for Kentucky. In 1811, when Harrison declined the offer of Illinois troops to march on Tecumseh's village at Prophetstown, White enlisted as a private in the Indiana dragoons, which had been placed under the command of Daveiss. Both were killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe, and were buried in a common grave.

Interim commissioners were named and directed to organize the county during the summer of 1834, and to choose a county seat in September. They did so on September 5, 1834, naming Monticello as the future seat, due to its central location. While the county was being organized, it was attached to Carroll County for administrative and judicial purposes.

Alterations were made to the county's boundaries on December 24, 1834, on February 4, 1837, and on February 14, 1839. In addition, the counties of Jasper (1837), Pulaski (1839), Newton (1839), and Benton (1840) removed significant portions of the county's territory. The borders have remained unchanged since 1840.

Geography

The low, rolling hills of White County are entirely devoted to agriculture or to urban development. The Tippecanoe River flows southward through the central part of the county. The highest point on the terrain ( ASL) is a gentle rise about SSE from Wolcott.

According to the 2010 United States Census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 99.30%) is land and (or 0.70%) is water.

Adjacent counties

* Pulaski County - north
* Cass County - east
* Carroll County - southeast
* Tippecanoe County - south
* Benton County - west
* Jasper County - northwest/CST Border

City and towns

* Brookston (town)
* Burnettsville (town)
* Chalmers (town)
* Monon (town)
* Monticello (city/county seat)
* Reynolds (town)
* Wolcott (town)

Census-designated places

* Buffalo
* Idaville
* Norway

Unincorporated places

* Badger Grove
* Bell Center
* Cedar Point
* East Monticello
* Golden Hill
* Guernsey
* Headlee
* Indiana Beach
* Lee
* Round Grove
* Seafield
* Sitka
* Smithson
* Springboro

Townships

* Big Creek
* Cass
* Honey Creek
* Jackson
* Liberty
* Lincoln
* Monon
* Prairie
* Princeton
* Round Grove
* Union
* West Point

Major highways

* Interstate 65
* U.S. Route 24
* U.S. Route 231
* U.S. Route 421
* Indiana State Road 16
* Indiana State Road 18
* Indiana State Road 39
* Indiana State Road 43
* Indiana State Road 119

Railroads

* CSX Transportation
* Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in Monticello have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1963 and a record high of was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in July.

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 legislative branch of the county government; controls spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected to four-year terms from county districts. They set salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council 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.

Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county; commissioners are elected county-wide, to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute acts legislated by the council, collect revenue, and manage the county government.

Court: The county maintains a small claims court that handles civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.

County Officials: The county has other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. These officers are elected to four-year terms. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.

Demographics

2010 Census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 24,643 people, 9,741 households, and 6,849 families in the county. The population density was . There were 12,970 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 93.9% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.3% black or African American, 3.7% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.0% were German, 13.3% were Irish, 9.7% were English, and 8.4% were American.

Of the 9,741 households, 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.7% were non-families, and 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age was 41.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $52,626. Males had a median income of $39,715 versus $28,880 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,323. About 7.7% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.0% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Five school districts have portions of the county: Frontier School Corporation, North White School Corporation, Tri-County School Corporation, Twin Lakes School Corporation, and Pioneer Regional School Corporation.

High schools and middle schools

* Tri-County Middle/Senior High School
* Frontier Junior-Senior High School
* North White High School
* North White Middle School
* Roosevelt Middle School
* Twin Lakes High School

Elementary Schools

* Eastlawn Elementary School
* Frontier Elementary School
* Meadowlawn Elementary School
* Monon Elementary School
* Oaklawn Elementary School
* Tri-County Intermediate SchoolTri-County Intermediate School
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See also

* Meadow Lake Wind Farm
* National Register of Historic Places listings in White County, Indiana

References

Bibliography

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Further reading

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External links

{{Authority control

Indiana counties
1834 establishments in Indiana
Populated places established in 1834