Starke County, Indiana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Starke County, Indiana | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Indiana |
|
 Indiana's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1850 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Knox |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
312 sq mi (809 km²) 309 sq mi (801 km²) 3 sq mi (8 km²), 0.96% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
23,556 76/sq mi (29/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Named for: John Stark | |
Starke County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2000, the population was 23,556. The county seat is Knox[1].
It is the poorest county per capita outside of the southeast of the state.[citation needed]
Contents |
[edit] History
Starke County was formed in 1850. It was named for Gen. John Stark,[2] who commanded New Hampshire troops at the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775 in the Revolutionary War and defeated the British at the Battle of Bennington in 1777.
Before white settlement, all of the land that forms modern-day Starke County and adjacent LaPorte County to the north belonged to the Potawatami Indian nation. These Indians were forcibly removed to Kansas by the United States government in 1838, and many died on what has been called the Trail of Death.[3][4]
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 312 square miles (809 km²), of which 309 square miles (801 km²) is land and 3 square miles (8 km²) (0.96%) is water. The northwestern boundary of Starke County is defined by the Kankakee River; the Yellow River, a tributary of the Kankakee, flows through the central part of the county, past Knox.[5]
[edit] Cities and towns
[edit] Unincorporated towns
[edit] Townships
[edit] Adjacent counties
- LaPorte County (north)
- St. Joseph County (northeast)
- Marshall County (east)
- Fulton County (southeast)
- Pulaski County (south)
- Jasper County (west)
- Porter County (northwest)
[edit] Major highways
- U.S. Route 30
- U.S. Route 35
- U.S. Route 421
- Indiana State Road 8
- Indiana State Road 10
- Indiana State Road 23
- Indiana State Road 39
[edit] Demographics
| Starke County Population by year |
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2000 23,556 |
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As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 23,556 people, 8,740 households, and 6,450 families residing in the county. The population density was 76 people per square mile (29/km²). There were 10,201 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile (13/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.52% White, 0.22% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.74% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. 2.18% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 25.2% were of German, 17.5% American, 11.0% Irish, 8.2% Polish and 6.4% English ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 8,740 households out of which 33.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.40% were married couples living together, 9.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.20% were non-families. 22.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.80% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,243, and the median income for a family was $42,355. Males had a median income of $32,779 versus $21,071 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,466. About 8.80% of families and 11.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.10% of those under age 18 and 10.10% 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.
- ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Baker, Ronald L.; Marvin Carmony (1995). Indiana Place Names. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 158. ISBN 0-253-28340-X.
- ^ Starke County Public Library factsheet http://www.scpl.lib.in.us/historical/timeline/timeline.pdf
- ^ History of 1838 Trail of Death http://www.potawatomi-tda.org/ptodhist.htm
- ^ (1998) Indiana Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Me.: DeLorme, pp. 19-20, 25-26. ISBN 0-89933-211-0.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
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