Winamac is a town in Monroe Township, Pulaski County, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

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 ...

. The population was 2,490 at the 2010 census. It is 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 Pulaski County.

History

The town's name came from the

Potawatomi The Potawatomi (), also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American tribe of the Great Plains, upper Mississippi River, and western Great Lakes region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, ...

word for "catfish." It was selected as the county seat in 1839. Winamac was incorporated as a town in 1868. The Winamac post office has been in operation since 1839. Pulaski County Courthouse, Dr. George W. Thompson House, and Vurpillat's Opera 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 ...

Notable Landmarks

Winamac has several local landmarks scattered throughout the town.

The Artesian Well

In June 1877, the Winamac Gas and Oil company began drilling near the Tippecanoe River. Instead of oil, they discovered a water vein at 264 feet below the ground. In the following years, demand for the well's water created a small industry within the community, and local boys ventured to earn money by delivering this water to homes. During this time, the water was marketed as containing healing properties. Interest in the well had died down by the end of the 19th century. By 1920, the well had fallen victim to vandalism and decay, and was subsequently repaired. Unfortunately, the well's water pressure was later compromised by other local projects, causing it to dry up. It was capped, and an informational plaque was dedicated to the well on the 100th anniversary of its drilling. Today, it stands as a reminder of local history on the west side of the town park.

The Memorial Swinging Bridge

The Winamac Town Park is home to a large suspension bridge called the "The Swinging Bridge" over the Tippecanoe River. This bridge was dedicated on July 4, 1923, in honor of soldiers and sailors from the Civil War onward. It has since been a popular local attraction, serving as the subject of many greeting cards and photoshoots since its dedication. In 2020, the "Light Up Our Legacy Project" began, hoping to raise money to install LED lights on the bridge. The goal was reached, and the bridge underwent renovations through early spring of 2023, with the goal of unveiling the lights on July 4, 2023.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Winamac has a total area of , all land.

Climate

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 2,490 people, 1,028 households, and 617 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 1,140 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.2%

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 ...

, 0.5%

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 ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% 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 2.3% of the population. There were 1,028 households, of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% 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, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.0% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age in the town was 38.8 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.2% were from 25 to 44; 25.6% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,418 people, 988 households, and 607 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 1,079 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.39%

, 0.70%

, 0.21% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.04%

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 ...

, 0.17% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.28% of the population. There were 988 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were

living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.5% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.1% 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 2.93. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $31,413, and the median income for a family was $43,824. Males had a median income of $29,667 versus $22,461 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 $16,447. About 5.3% of families and 8.2% 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 11.9% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The community is located in the Eastern Pulaski Community School Corporation. The town has a lending library, the Pulaski County Public Library.

Economy

BraunAbility is based in Winamac.

Notable people

* Ralph Braun, businessman * John Buchanan, biochemist * Justin Haley, NASCAR driver *

David E. Lilienthal David Eli Lilienthal (July 8, 1899 – January 15, 1981) was an American attorney and public administrator, best known for his presidential appointment to head Tennessee Valley Authority and later the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). He had p ...

, lawyer and head of Tennessee Valley Authority and Atomic Energy Commission * Judith A. Myers, Illinois state senator and educator * Carl W. Riddick, member of the U.S.

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

from

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

, editor of the ''Winamac Republican'' newspaper

References

External links

Town of Winamac, Indiana website

ePodunk: Profile for Winamac, Indiana, IN

{{authority control Towns in Pulaski County, Indiana Towns in Indiana County seats in Indiana