Merrillville, Indiana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Town of Merrillville, Indiana | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Indiana | ||
| County | Lake | ||
| Township | Ross | ||
| Government | |||
| - Type | Town | ||
| - Town Manager | Tim Brown | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 33.3 sq mi (86.3 km²) | ||
| - Land | 33.3 sq mi (86.2 km²) | ||
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km²) | ||
| Elevation | 656 ft (200 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - Total | 30,560 | ||
| - Density | 918.2/sq mi (354.5/km²) | ||
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) | ||
| ZIP codes | 46410-46411 | ||
| Area code(s) | 219 | ||
| FIPS code | 18-48528[1] | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0439028[2] | ||
| Website: www.merrillville.in.gov | |||
Merrillville (pronounced /ˈmɛrəlˌvɪl/) is a town in Ross Township, Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 30,560 at the 2000 census. Merrillville is located in the east-central portion of Lake County.
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[edit] Geography
Merrillville is located at (41.485669, -87.335390)[3].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 33.3 square miles (86.3 km²), of which, 33.3 square miles (86.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.09%) is water.
The town is centered around the intersection of US 30 and Interstate 65. The Lincoln Highway runs through Merrillville. The original alignment of Lincoln Highway is known as 73rd Avenue (also called Old Lincoln Highway) in Merrillville, while the current Lincoln Highway (US Highway 30) is known as 81st Avenue. State Road 53 (Broadway) and State Road 55 (Taft Street) traverse the town from north to south.
[edit] History
Merrillville is located on what used to be woodland that belonged to the Potawatomi Indians, a peace-loving nation of hunters and fishermen. In 1834, a clearing was created for ceremonial purposes and was called McGwinn Village. A year later, a white man by the name of Jeremiah Wiggins settled in the place; McGwinn Village thus gave way to Wiggins Point.[4]
Under the name Wiggins Point, the place became a well-known stop for wagon trains heading to Joliet, Illinois. At one time, 16 trails radiated outward from Wiggins Point. In 1838, Wiggins died. Sometime afterwards, local settlers renamed the place Centerville. Later still, it was renamed Merrillville after the brothers Dudley and William Merrill.[5] Dudley Merrill operated a hotel and store in Centerville, and his son John P. Merrill was a Township Trustee.[6]
Nearby, in the same former hunting grounds of the Potawatomi Indians, other settlements had sprung up. Near Deep River creek was a settlement named Deep River; near Turkey Creek was another settlement with that creek's name. Other settlements included Ainsworth, Lottaville, and Rexville. At one time, the post office for the area was named Lottaville.
In 1848, all of these settlements, including Merrillville (that is, the old McGwinn Village) were collected into one and called Ross Township. As time went by, bits and pieces of Ross Township were taken by Hobart and Crown Point when those towns incorporated.
In 1971, the area officially became Merrillville (which now includes the old Merrillville as well as other settlements nearby) and was incorporated as a town under Indiana law.[7] At one time, Merrillville was known as the "largest town" in the U.S., with that distinction now going to Gilbert, Arizona.
In 1993, a large unincorporated area of Lake County along US 30, east of Mississippi St. and west of Indiana 51 was annexed by the neighboring city of Hobart. The residents of this area, although living in unincorporated Ross Township, associated themselves with Merrillville. This is due to the fact that they were served by Merrillville schools and Post Office. As the area continues to be served by the Merrillville post office, local residents and businesses continue to identify themselves as being in Merrillville rather than Hobart.
Due to the unique shape of the annexed areas, someone travelling west on U.S. 30 will enter Lake County in Merrillville, then cross into Hobart, then cross into Merrillville again.
[edit] Economy
Merrillville is a hub for retail trade in Northwest Indiana. The US 30 corridor between Taft Street and Colorado Street harbors a large concentration of big-box retailers, hotels, restaurants, and automobile dealerships. Westfield Southlake, one of the largest shopping malls in Indiana, is located in this area.
Ameriplex at the Crossroads, an industrial and technology park, opened at Broadway between 93rd Avenue and 101st Avenue in 2005. The development is designated an Indiana Certified Technology Park and includes two Purdue University related facilities: Purdue University Calumet's Academic Learning Center and a business incubator/technology center operated by the Purdue Research Foundation.
Heavy industry such as steelmaking and petroleum refining that characterizes the economy of northern Lake County does not have a significant presence in Merrillville.
The town is home to the corporate headquarters of NiSource, a Fortune 500 company.
Merrillville's nearest commercial airport is Gary/Chicago International Airport in Gary.
Merrillville is also protected by one of Indiana's largest volunteer fire departments, the Ross Township Fire Service.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 30,560 people, 11,678 households, and 8,127 families residing in the town. The population density was 918.2 people per square mile (354.5/km²). There were 12,303 housing units at an average density of 369.6/sq mi (142.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 69.65% White, 22.86% African American, 0.33% Native American, 1.51% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.39% from other races, and 2.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.65% of the population.
There were 11,678 households out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $49,545, and the median income for a family was $56,355. Males had a median income of $41,820 versus $29,005 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,293. About 2.6% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Notable People from Merrillville
- Karen McDougal, model, actress, Playboy Playmate of the Month of December 1997 and 1998 Playmate of the Year
- Guy Sternberg, botanist, arborist
- Gregg Popovich, NBA coach
- Jeff Samardzija, minor-league pitcher
- Eugene Wilson, NFL player,
[edit] References
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ http://www.townofmerrillville.com/town_history.html[dead link]
- ^ http://www.townofmerrillville.com/town_history.html[dead link]
- ^ http://www.lowellpl.lib.in.us/merrill.htm
- ^ http://www.townofmerrillville.com/town_history.html[dead link]
[edit] External links
- Town of Merrillville (official site)
- Merrillville Chamber of Commerce
- Merrillville Alumni Web Site - home for alumni of Merrillville High School
- Andrean High School
- Merrillville, Indiana is at coordinates Coordinates:
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