Allen County, Indiana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Allen County, Indiana | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Indiana |
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 Indiana's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1 April 1824 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Fort Wayne |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
660 sq mi (1,709 km²) 657 sq mi (1,702 km²) 3 sq mi (8 km²), 0.43% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
342,168 505/sq mi (195/km²) |
| Website: www.co.allen.in.us | |
Allen County is the largest county (by area) in the state of Indiana, United States. As of 2007, the population was 349,488. The county seat and largest city is Fort Wayne[1]. Allen County is within a 250-mile (400 km) radius of 17 percent of the total United States population and within a day's drive of half of the nation's population[2], along with sitting nearly equidistant from Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit, and Indianapolis.[3] Allen County's economy is based on insurance, manufacturing, healthcare, and agriculture.[4]
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[edit] History
Allen County was formed April 1, 1824. The county is named for Col. John Allen, an attorney and Kentucky state senator who was killed in the War of 1812. Fort Wayne was chosen as the county seat in May 1824.
[edit] Courthouse
The Allen County courthouse was designed by Brentwood S. Tolan of Fort Wayne, and was built by James Stewart and Company of Saint Louis, Missouri. When the cornerstone was laid in 1897, the oldest man in the county, Louis Peltier, was present; he remembered Fort Wayne when it was a fort. The courthouse was completed in 1903 at a total cost of $817,553; it was one of the most expensive courthouses in the state, and was in a Beaux-Arts style. It was filled with artwork that cost more than other entire courthouses of the time. The building is now used primarily as a government annex, as most of the offices were moved to a new building in 1971.[5]
[edit] Government
The executive and legislative power are vested in the Board of Commissioners. Linda Bloom, F. Nelson Peters and Bill Brown.
Kenneth C. Fries is the Sheriff of Allen County. He began his initial term on January 1, 2007. David Gladieux serves as Chief Deputy Sheriff.
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 660 square miles (1,710 km²), of which 657 square miles (1,702 km²) is land and 3 square miles (7 km²) (0.43%) is water. It is the largest county in Indiana, land-wise, but ranks as a 'small county' in comparison with the western states.
[edit] Economy
By the mid-20th century, Allen County had become a manufacturing center in the Midwest United States. Major employers included General Electric, Westinghouse, International Harvester, and Tokheim. During World War II, Phelps Dodge, Rea Wire, and Essex Wire comprised the largest concentration of copper wire manufacturing worldwide, also vital employers. In the latter half of the 20th century, shifts in manufacturing patterns led to the reduction of the number of manufacturing plants and jobs, leading many to count Allen County as part of the Rust Belt.[6] However, Allen County's economy has diversified to include defense and security, healthcare, and insurance.[7]
Allen County is the headquarters for such corporations as Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company, Centennial Wireless, DeBrand Chocolatier, Do it Best, Home Reserve, K & K Insurance Group, Medical Protective, North American Van Lines (SIRVA), OmniSource Corporation, Scott's Food & Pharmacy, STAR Financial Group, Sweetwater Sound, Triple Crown Services, Vera Bradley Designs, and WaterFurnace International.
In 2008, Forbes ranked the Fort Wayne metropolitan area, including Allen County, 73rd on its list of 200 metropolitan areas in the "Best Places For Business And Careers" report, based on factors such as the cost of doing business, cost of living, educational attainment, and crime rate.[8] Fort Wayne was ranked 7th in cost of living and 11th in cost of doing business.[8]
[edit] Education
Allen County is home to Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW). With an enrollment of 11,943, it is the fifth-largest public university campus in Indiana. The county is also home to the main campus of the Northeast Region of Ivy Tech Community College, the second-largest public community college campus in the state. In addition, Indiana University (IU) maintains the Fort Wayne Center for Medical Education, a branch of the Indiana University School of Medicine.
Allen County's colleges and universities also include the University of Saint Francis, Concordia Theological Seminary, Taylor University Fort Wayne, Indiana Institute of Technology (Indiana Tech) as well as regional branches of Trine University, Brown Mackie College, Indiana Wesleyan University, Indiana Business College, and International Business College.
[edit] Adjacent counties
Allen County is one of the few counties in the United States to border as many as nine counties. Indiana actually has two such counties, with nearby Grant County also bordering nine others. Allen and Grant Counties share Huntington and Wells Counties as common neighbors.
- Noble County (northwest)
- DeKalb County (northeast)
- Defiance County, Ohio (northeast)
- Paulding County, Ohio (east)
- Van Wert County, Ohio (southeast)
- Adams County (southeast)
- Wells County (southwest)
- Huntington County (southwest)
- Whitley County (west)
[edit] Cities and towns
[edit] Unincorporated towns
[edit] Extinct towns
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[edit] Townships
Allen County is divided into twenty townships:
[edit] Major highways
- Interstate 69
- Interstate 469 (Ronald Reagan Expressway)
- U.S. Route 24
- U.S. Route 27
- U.S. Route 30
- U.S. Route 33
- Indiana State Road 1
- Indiana State Road 3
- Indiana State Road 14
- Indiana State Road 37
- Indiana State Road 101
[edit] Railroads
- Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad
- CSX Transportation
- Maumee and Western Railroad
- Norfolk Southern Railway
[edit] Parks
The Allen County Parks Department operates several parks serving the Fort Wayne community. The largest are:
- Fox Island County Park
- Metea Park
- Cook's Landing County Park
- Payton County Park
[edit] Demographics
| Allen County, Indiana Population by year[9] |
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| 1830 | 996 |
| 1840 | 5,942 |
| 1850 | 16,919 |
| 1860 | 29,328 |
| 1870 | 43,494 |
| 1880 | 54,763 |
| 1890 | 66,689 |
| 1900 | 77,270 |
| 1910 | 93,386 |
| 1920 | 114,303 |
| 1930 | 146,743 |
| 1940 | 155,084 |
| 1950 | 183,722 |
| 1960 | 232,196 |
| 1970 | 280,455 |
| 1980 | 294,335 |
| 1990 | 300,836 |
| 2000 | 331,849 |
| 2007 | 349,488 |
As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 331,849 people, 128,745 households, and 86,259 families residing in the county. The population density was 505 people per square mile (195/km²). There were 138,905 housing units at an average density of 211 per square mile (82/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 83.08% White, 11.31% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 1.40% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.02% from other races, and 1.79% from two or more races. 4.18% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 33.3% were of German, 10.3% American, 7.4% Irish and 6.9% English ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 128,745 households out of which 34.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.50% were married couples living together, 11.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.00% were non-families. 27.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the county the population was spread out with 27.70% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 30.00% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 11.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $42,671, and the median income for a family was $52,708. Males had a median income of $39,202 versus $25,980 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,544. About 6.70% of families and 9.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.40% of those under age 18 and 6.40% of those age 65 or over.
Fort Wayne is cited as having the highest Burmese refugee population in the United States, with between 3,000-3,500.[11]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Fort Wayne Facts. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
- ^ Fort Wayne Facts - City of Fort Wayne. Retrieved on 2008-04-29.
- ^ Fort Wayne: Economy - City-Data. Retrieved on 2008-04-29.
- ^ Counts, Will; Jon Dilts (1991). The 92 Magnificent Indiana Courthouses. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, pp. 10-11. ISBN 978-0253336385.
- ^ Money.CNN.com A Rust Belt city 1/4 takes on a shine. Fortune Magazine (1986). Retrieved on 2008-02-01.
- ^ Fort Wayne: Economy - City-Data. Retrieved on 2008-04-29.
- ^ a b Forbes Best Places For Business And Careers Fort Wayne Profile. Retrieved on 2008-04-09.
- ^ Fort Wayne QuickFacts. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2007-07-07.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Linsenmayer, Steve, A foot in the door: 300 refugees from Burma will move to Fort Wayne this year; getting them settled is a huge and challenging task , Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, July 12, 2007. (Accessed January 27, 2008)
[edit] References
- Forstall, Richard L. (editor) (1996). Population of states and counties of the United States: 1790 to 1990 : from the twenty-one decennial censuses. United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Population Division. ISBN 0-934213-48-8.
[edit] External links
- Allen County official website
- Maumee Valley Heritage Corridor
- Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society and Museum
- ARCH, Inc. - Allen County historic architecture preservation group
- Allen County history
- Plan-it Allen
- Fort Wayne/Allen County Convention and Visitors Bureau
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