| Tipton County, Indiana | |
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Tipton County courthouse
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Location in the state of Indiana |
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Indiana's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1844 |
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| Named for | John Tipton |
| Seat | Tipton |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
260.57 sq mi (675 km²) 260.54 sq mi (675 km²) 0.03 sq mi (0 km²), 0.01% |
| Population - (2010) - Density |
15,936 61/sq mi (23.63/km²) |
| Congressional district | 5th |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Footnotes:
Indiana county number 80 |
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Tipton County is located in central Indiana, north of the state capital of Indianapolis. Before the arrival of non-indigenous settlers in the early 19th century, the area was inhabited by several Native American tribes. The county was officially established in 1844 and was one of the last Indiana counties to be settled. The county seat is Tipton.[1]
According to the 2010 census, the population was 15,936, a decrease of 3.9% from the 2000 population of 16,577.[2] It is included in the Kokomo, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county has four incorporated towns with a total population of about 7,000,[3] as well as many small unincorporated communities. It is divided into six townships which provide local services.[4][5] Three Indiana state roads and one U.S. Route cross the county,[6] as do two railroad lines.[7]
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Prior to the arrival of non-indigenous settlers in the 1830s, the area now known as Tipton County was inhabited by the Miami and Delaware tribes.[8]
Tipton County was formed in 1844. It was named for John Tipton, a soldier of the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. Tipton served as United States Senator for Indiana from 1831 until shortly before his death in 1839.[9]
The first Tipton County courthouse was a two-story frame building. It was planned in early 1845 and was completed by the end of the year at a cost of about $1200.[n 1] It was expanded the following year. By 1858 a new courthouse was needed, and the brick building was completed by 1859 at a cost of approximately $15,000.[n 2][11]
The present courthouse was designed by Adolph Sherrer. He had taken over the Indiana Statehouse project when architect Edwin May died in 1880; five years after the completion of that project in 1888, Scherrer began work on the Tipton building, which was built of sandstone in a Romanesque style with a clock tower that rises 206 feet above the ground, including the flagstaff on top. It was built by Pierce and Morgan of Indianapolis during 1893 and 1894 at a cost of $170,988.[n 3] It is one of several Romanesque courthouses dating from the 1890s that are still in use.[12]
Tipton County lies in the central part of the state. One county, Hamilton, separates it from Indianapolis and Marion County to the south. To the north lies Howard County; to the west, Clinton County; and to the east, Madison County. A short portion of the eastern border, less than 2 miles (3.2 km) long, is shared with Grant County to the northeast.
Most of the county consists of level till plain with elevations from 850 feet (260 m) to 900 feet (270 m) above sea level.[13] Prior to settlement by non-indigenous people, it was mostly covered with dense forests consisting of oak, beech, maple, walnut, hickory, sycamore and tulip trees. The southern part of the county has better natural drainage, and this area was first cleared for agriculture. Much of the rest of the county tended to be swampy due to the level ground and lack of sufficient natural waterways, so drainage channels had to be dug to make the land suitable for farming.[14]
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 260.57 square miles (674.9 km2), of which 260.54 square miles (674.8 km2) (or 99.99%) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.078 km2) (or 0.01%) is water.[15]
The county is divided into six townships: Cicero, Jefferson, Liberty, Madison, Prairie and Wildcat.[4]
There are four incorporated settlements in the county. The largest is Tipton. Located near the center of the county, it is the county seat; its population in 2000 was 5251.[16] Kempton is located near the western border in Jefferson Township and has a population of 380.[17] The town of Sharpsville is located near the northern border, in Liberty Township; its population is 618.[18] Wildcat Township contains Windfall City, which has a population of 712.[19] The city of Elwood lies in Madison County to the east and extends slightly over the border; as of the 2000 census, seven Elwood residents lived in Tipton County.[3] The county also contains several unincorporated communities.[20]
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Tipton County is in the humid continental climate region of the United States along with most of Indiana. Its Köppen climate classification is Dfa,[22] meaning that it is cold, has no dry season, and has a hot summer.[23] In recent years, average temperatures in Tipton have ranged from a low of 15 °F (−9 °C) in January to a high of 83 °F (28 °C) in July, although a record low of −25 °F (−32 °C) was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 98 °F (37 °C) was recorded in July 1999. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.67 inches (42 mm) in February to 4.24 inches (108 mm) in June.[21] From 1950 through 2009, 13 tornadoes were reported in Tipton County, resulting in two deaths and several injuries; the total estimated property damage was over $3 million.[24]
No interstate highways run through Tipton County. U.S. Route 31 runs through the western part of the county, entering from Howard County and Kokomo in the north and continuing to Hamilton County and Indianapolis in the south.[25] Indiana State Road 19 and Indiana State Road 28 intersect in the county seat of Tipton.[26][27] Indiana State Road 213 runs from north to south in the eastern part of the county, passing through the town of Windfall.[28]
Though they do not run through the county, three other state roads touch its southeastern corner. Indiana State Road 13 and Indiana State Road 37 share the same route here while approaching Elwood.[29][30] The point where they touch the corner of Tipton County is also the western terminus of Indiana State Road 128.[31]
Two Norfolk Southern Railway routes run through the county. One line connects Muncie in the east with Frankfort in the west. The other connects Logansport and Kokomo in the north with Indianapolis in the south. The two lines intersect in Tipton.[7]
Tipton County's economy is supported by a labor force of approximately 7,169 workers with an unemployment rate in September 2011 of 8.8%.[32]
Tipton County has six schools, managed by three school corporations.[33] The Tipton Community School Corporation includes an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school, all located in Tipton; these schools served a total of 1,821 students during the 2009–2010 school year.[34] In the north part of the county, Tri-Central Community Schools includes an elementary school and a combined middle and high school, both located in Sharpsville; these schools served a total of 970 students during the same school year.[35] Saint John the Baptist School is located in Tipton and is part of the Diocese of Lafayette Catholic Schools; it is an elementary school and served 82 students during the 2009–2010 school year.[36]
Charles Benjamin "Babe" Adams was born in Tipton in 1882. He became a baseball pitcher, and aside from a single game played for the Saint Louis Cardinals in 1906, he played his entire Major League career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and was known for his location control. His last Major League game was in 1926. He died in 1968 at age 86.[37]
John Bunch was born in Tipton in 1921 and became a jazz pianist. While still in his early teens, he was playing in local clubs, and went on to play with the bands of Woody Herman, Benny Goodman and Maynard Ferguson. He composed many original works, and continued playing in various roles through early 2010. He died in Manhattan soon after his last engagement; he was 88 years old.[38]
The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana and the Indiana Code. The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms and are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes and service taxes.[39][40]
The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue and managing day-to-day functions of the county government.[39][40]
The county maintains a small claims court that can handle some civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.[40]
The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor and circuit court clerk. Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and be residents of the county.[40]
Each of the townships has a trustee who administers rural fire protection and ambulance service, provides poor relief and manages cemetery care, among other duties.[5] The trustee is assisted in these duties by a three-member township board. The trustees and board members are elected to four-year terms.[41]
Tipton County is part of Indiana's 5th congressional district; Indiana Senate districts 20 and 21;[42] and Indiana House of Representatives districts 32 and 35.[43]
| Historical populations | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 3,532 |
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| 1860 | 8,170 | 131.3% | |
| 1870 | 11,953 | 46.3% | |
| 1880 | 14,407 | 20.5% | |
| 1890 | 18,157 | 26.0% | |
| 1900 | 19,116 | 5.3% | |
| 1910 | 17,459 | −8.7% | |
| 1920 | 16,152 | −7.5% | |
| 1930 | 15,208 | −5.8% | |
| 1940 | 15,135 | −0.5% | |
| 1950 | 15,566 | 2.8% | |
| 1960 | 15,856 | 1.9% | |
| 1970 | 16,650 | 5.0% | |
| 1980 | 16,819 | 1.0% | |
| 1990 | 16,119 | −4.2% | |
| 2000 | 16,577 | 2.8% | |
| 2010 | 15,936 | −3.9% | |
| Sources: United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Population Division[44] Census Quickfacts[2] |
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As of the census[45] of 2000, there were 16,577 people, 6,469 households, and 4,748 families residing in the county. The population density was 64 people per square mile (25/km²). There were 6,848 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.35% White, 0.14% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. 1.21% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 33.1% were of American, 22.8% German, 12.7% English and 7.3% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 6,469 households out of which 32.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.30% were married couples living together, 7.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.60% were non-families. 23.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.20% 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 2.97.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.00% under the age of 18, 7.20% from 18 to 24, 28.10% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 14.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $48,546, and the median income for a family was $56,080. Males had a median income of $42,109 versus $25,061 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,926. About 2.90% of families and 5.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.50% of those under age 18 and 8.80% of those age 65 or over.
| Howard County | Grant County | |||
| Clinton County | Madison County | |||
| Tipton County, Indiana | ||||
| Hamilton County |
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