Perrysville, Indiana

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Perrysville, Indiana
Location of Perrysville in the state of Indiana
Location of Perrysville in the state of Indiana
Coordinates: 40°3′8″N 87°26′7″W / 40.05222, -87.43528
Country United States
State Indiana
County Vermillion
Township Highland
Founded 1825
Area
 - Total 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
 - Land 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km²)
 - Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation 538 ft (164 m)
Population (2000)
 - Total 502
 - Density 1,995.4/sq mi (770.4/km²)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 47974
Area code(s) 765
FIPS code 18-59238[1]
GNIS feature ID 0441034[2]

Perrysville is a town in Highland Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, United States. The population was 502 at the 2000 census.

Contents

[edit] History

Perrysville was platted and surveyed in 1825 by James Blair on a bluff on the west side of the the Wabash River. It became a local center for shipping products to New Orleans on flatboats via the Wabash, Ohio, and Mississippi Rivers, and it was also able to receive heavy equipment and manufactured items on steamboats. Prior to the advent of the railroad in the second half of the nineteenth century, the town's location on the river made for a thriving community; it is reputed to have been the largest town between Chicago and Terre Haute at the height of its success. The arrival of the Wabash and Erie Canal enhanced its importance even further; a sidecut with locks allowed boats to be towed across the river to the town. Various roads intersected here, including a plank toll road from Danville, Illinois to the west, and stagecoach traffic became frequent. However, when the railroads did arrive, and failed to pass through the town, it spelled the eventual end of the vital river traffic, and of the importance of the town of Perrysville.[3]

[edit] Geography

Perrysville is located at 40°3′8″N, 87°26′7″W (40.052188, -87.435178)[4] on the western banks of the Wabash River. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²), all of it land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 502 people, 198 households, and 139 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,995.4 people per square mile (775.3/km²). There were 208 housing units at an average density of 826.8/sq mi (321.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.40% White, and 0.60% from two or more races.

There were 198 households out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 104.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,929, and the median income for a family was $36,667. Males had a median income of $29,583 versus $22,969 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,455. About 5.1% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.4% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  3. ^ Storms, Earl R. (1974). Highland Township, Vermillion County, Indiana: The First 100 Years, 1824-1924, pp. 1, 5, 8, 10. 
  4. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.

[edit] External links