Rockport, Indiana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coordinates: 37°53′1″N, 87°3′11″W
City of Rockport
Location in the state of Indiana
County	Spencer
Area
- City	3.1 km² (1.2 sq mi)
- Land	3.0 km² (1.2 sq mi)
- Water	0.1 km² (0.04 sq mi) 1.68%
Population (2000)
- City	2,160
- Density	712.8/km² (1,843.6/sq mi)
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)

Rockport is a city in Spencer County, Indiana, along the Ohio River. The population was 2,160 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Spencer County^GR6.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Attractions
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Geography

Rockport is located at 37°53′1″N, 87°3′11″W (37.883742, -87.053065)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.1 km² (1.2 mi²). 3.0 km² (1.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (1.68%) is water.

Rockport is nestled on the Ohio River across from Owensboro, Kentucky. It is connected to Owensboro by the William H. Natcher Bridge via U.S. Highway 231.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 2,160 people, 891 households, and 571 families residing in the city. The population density was 712.8/km² (1,843.6/mi²). There were 1,057 housing units at an average density of 348.8/km² (902.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.83% White, 2.59% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.25% of the population.

There were 891 households out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,275, and the median income for a family was $37,554. Males had a median income of $30,278 versus $20,263 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,298. About 10.2% of families and 14.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.4% of those under age 18 and 12.8% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Attractions

Lincoln Pioneer Village, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located in Rockport City Park. Designed by noted Hoosier sculptor George Honig, the first phase of the Village was completed in 1935, with an addition completed the following year. The project was undertaken through grants from the Federal Emergency Relief Administration and Works Progress Administration, both programs of the "New Deal."

Historically accurate replicas of a number of Spencer County cabins and businesses from Abraham Lincoln's time are the main attraction of the Village, giving visitors the opportunity to see what it was like to live in Indiana during Lincoln's formative years. The Village was so well-known throughout the United States in its early years that it was chosen as the setting for portions of the 1955 Burt Lancaster film The Kentuckian.

In recent years, the Village was restored by a group of committed volunteers with the help of a grant-in-aid from the state of Indiana, following up on a somewhat less historically accurate but necessary restoration in the 1980s. The most recent restoration returned the site to its original 1930s design, and included the reconstruction of the entrance cabin, the original having been demolished due to extreme deterioration when the first restoration was undertaken.

Lincoln Pioneer Village is located in Rockport City Park, the entrance of which is at the corner of Ninth and Seminary streets on Rockport's southwest side.