Franklin County, Indiana

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Franklin County, Indiana
Map
Map of Indiana highlighting Franklin County
Location in the state of Indiana
Map of the U.S. highlighting Indiana
Indiana's location in the U.S.
Statistics
Founded 1811
Seat Brookville
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

391 sq mi (1,013 km²)
386 sq mi (1,000 km²)
5 sq mi (13 km²), 1.36%
Population
 - (2000)
 - Density

22,151
57/sq mi (22/km²)
Website: www.franklincountyin.com
Named for: Benjamin Franklin

Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2000, the population was 22,151. The county seat is Brookville[1].

Contents

[edit] Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 391 square miles (1,014 km²), of which 386 square miles (1,000 km²) is land and 5 square miles (14 km²) (1.36%) is water.

Brookville from the northeast.
Brookville from the northeast.

[edit] Major highways

[edit] Adjacent counties

[edit] History

Franklin County was formed in 1811. It was named for Benjamin Franklin.

Some of the early settlers of this county were Primitive Baptists, they came with Elder William Tyner who came from Virginia in 1797. They organized the Little Cedar Grove Baptist Church, the first church in the Whitewater Valley. [1] The members built a log church as early as 1805, about two or three miles southeast of Brookville, Indiana. In 1812 they built a large brick church, with balcony, and rifle ports. They held the first meeting in it on August 1, 1812. It is the oldest church building standing on its original site in Indiana. It is open as a historic site.

One further landmark in the county is the Big Cedar Baptist Church and Buring Ground on Big Cedar Creek Road, between the road to Reily and the Oxford Pike. The original church was established in 1817, as an arm of the Little Cedar Baptist church. The plain, simple brick building, but impressive in its simplicity was built in 1838. This church, like all, or nearly all of the pioneer Baptist groups in the county was originally Primitive Baptist or Hardshell. In the 1830’s or there abouts, modernism came upon the scene, modernism and human inventions, like Sunday Schools, Missionary Societies, and organs. Organs were particularly anathema to the Primitive Party; an organ was Arron’s golden calf. The Big Cedar congregation divided into two congregations, but the two groups arrived at an amicable settlement and both congregations continued to use the same building. The Primitives, or Hardshells, had church there on the first and third Sabbath of each month, and the Modernists or Missionary Baptists used the church on the second and fourth Sundays. Each congregation had its own wood shed. The building is now maintained in connection with the Big Cedar Cemetery Association.[2]

Governors James B. Ray, Noah Noble and David Wallace were known as the "Brookville Triumvirate," in that they all had lived in Brookville, Franklin County, Indiana and served consecutive terms in the office of Governor of Indiana. Noble and former governor Ray were political enemies.[3]

James B. Goudie Jr. Speaker of the Indiana House was from Franklin County.

[edit] Demographics

Franklin County
Population by year

2000 22,151
1990 19,580
1980 19,612
1970 16,943
1960 17,015
1950 16,034
1940 14,412
1930 14,498
1920 14,806
1910 15,335
1900 16,388
1890 18,366
1880 20,092
1870 20,223
1860 19,549
1850 17,968
1840 13,349
1830 10,190
1820 10,763

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 22,151 people, 7,868 households, and 6,129 families residing in the county. The population density was 57 people per square mile (22/km²). There were 8,596 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile (9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 99.02% White, 0.03% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.09% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races. 0.47% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 46.4% were of German, 19.4% American, 9.2% English and 8.5% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 7,868 households out of which 37.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.00% were married couples living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.10% were non-families. 19.00% 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 2.77 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the county the population was spread out with 28.10% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 12.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $43,530, and the median income for a family was $50,171. Males had a median income of $33,998 versus $24,516 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,624. About 4.70% of families and 7.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.90% of those under age 18 and 9.70% of those age 65 or over.

[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. 

HISTORY OF THE BIG CEDAR CHURCH AND CEMETERY, Page 2

Coordinates: 39°25′N 85°04′W / 39.42, -85.06