Upland, Indiana

Upland, Indiana
Town

Location of Upland in the state of Indiana
Coordinates: 40°28′2″N 85°30′0″W / 40.46722°N 85.50000°WCoordinates: 40°28′2″N 85°30′0″W / 40.46722°N 85.50000°W
Country United States
State Indiana
County Grant
Township Jefferson
Area[1]
 • Total 3.15 sq mi (8.16 km2)
 • Land 3.14 sq mi (8.13 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation 935 ft (285 m)
Population (2010)[2]
 • Total 3,845
 • Estimate (2012[3]) 3,824
 • Density 1,224.5/sq mi (472.8/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 46989
Area code(s) 765
FIPS code 18-77966[4]
GNIS feature ID 0445158[5]
Website http://upland.in.gov/

Upland is a town in Jefferson Township, Grant County, Indiana, United States. The population was 3,845 at the 2010 census. It is most notable for being the home of Taylor University, a Christian college with 1,920 students, as of 2011.

History

Most of the land that is now part of Upland was purchased by John Oswalt in the 1830s. He was a speculator, and believed that a canal connecting Indianapolis and Fort Wayne might pass through the area. The town itself was formed in the late 1860s by Jacob Bugher, who planned for it to be a depot point on the Indiana Central Railroad. The name of the town comes from the fact that it was believed to be the highest point on the rail line between Columbus and Chicago. By 1880, the town had a total population of around 150 and included a school, two churches, several stores, a blacksmith shop, and a sawmill.[6]

Upland benefited from the gas boom in central Indiana which started in 1886 and carried on until around 1900 when the gas supply began to decline. Gas was first discovered in Upland in 1888, and this new resource allowed the town to flourish and grow. By the 1890s, the town had a population of over 1000, street lights, water and gas lines, and a glass manufacturing plant.[6]

Taylor University moved to Upland in the summer of 1893. The school had been struggling financially at its location in Fort Wayne, and the gas boom allowed the town to provide the university with $10,000 in cash and 10 acres (40,000 m2) of land.[6]

During the 1960s, the infrastructure of the town was improved. Interstate 69 was completed. The public schools were consolidated into the Eastbrook School District and Eastbrook Junior High and High School were built. The municipality constructed a new water and sewage system. In the early 1990s, a new building was built by the Avis Industrial Corporation, across from Taylor University. The Avis-Taylor Prairie Restoration Project was also begun.

Upon the celebration in 1993 of Taylor's 100th anniversary in Upland, the university worked with the community to purchase and relocate a train depot from Muncie to Upland to serve as a local museum. The depot together with a new town hall and library were major developments in the downtown renewal project of Our Town Upland, Inc.

Geography

Upland is located between Fort Wayne (one hour north by car) and Indianapolis (1¼ hours south). It is about 30 minutes from Muncie, where Ball State University is located. It is about 20 minutes from Marion, where Indiana Wesleyan University is located.

Upland is located at 40°28′2″N 85°30′0″W / 40.46722°N 85.50000°W (40.467146, -85.500120).[7]

According to the 2010 census, the town has a total area of 3.15 square miles (8.2 km2), of which 3.14 square miles (8.1 km2) (or 99.68%) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.026 km2) (or 0.32%) is water.[1]

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 3,845 people, 872 households, and 589 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,224.5 inhabitants per square mile (472.8/km2). There were 949 housing units at an average density of 302.2 per square mile (116.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 94.6% White, 1.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.3% of the population.

There were 872 households of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.5% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.00.

The median age in the town was 21.8 years. 14.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 48.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 12.7% were from 25 to 44; 14.9% were from 45 to 64; and 9.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.

2000 census

As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 3,803 people, 789 households, and 569 families residing in the town. The population density was 967.1 people per square mile (373.6/km²). There were 824 housing units at an average density of 209.5 per square mile (81.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.40% White, 1.53% African American, 0.68% Native American, 1.50% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.31% of the population.

There were 789 households out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the town the population was spread out with 13.3% under the age of 18, 51.9% from 18 to 24, 13.9% from 25 to 44, 12.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 21 years. For every 100 females there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $36,827, and the median income for a family was $44,712. Males had a median income of $32,019 versus $21,845 for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,761. About 7.4% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

Description

Ivanhoe's - Upland's most famous restaurant

Upland is the home of the late Barton Rees Pogue, well-known author, poet, speaker, preacher and teacher.[8]

The town includes a historic train depot and 1923 Pennsylvania Railroad caboose, four community parks, a sports complex, three gas stations, three banks, a post office, library, town hall, general store, fire station, police station, three churches, a funeral home, a barber, three beauty salons, a realtor, two car-repair shops, a car wash, a medical clinic, an animal shelter, World Headquarters of Avis Industrial, Pierce Company manufacturing (no longer in business), numerous other small businesses and two traffic lights.

Upland is served by the Upland Police Department, Grant County Sheriff's Department, Upland Volunteer Fire Department and Medic 8 Ambulance Service. Government is town board with current president, Mike Cooper, town clerk-treasurer, Jane Rockwell, and town manager, Chip Long.

Active organizations include; Upland Area Historical Society, Upland Junior Historical Society, Upland Chamber of Commerce, Upland Lions Club, "Our Town Upland," Upland Masonic Lodge, Jefferson Alumni Association, Muddobbers Motorcycle Club, Upland Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, Upland Brownies and Girl Scouts, Upland 4-H Club, Grant United Soccer, Blackford Youth Soccer, Timeless Treasures Red Hat Club and Tri A Dice Club.

Culture

Town highlights include:

Religion

Upland's population is predominantly Christian. The largest church in town is Upland Community Church which is associated with the "Fellowship of Evangelical Churches." Mark Biehl is currently the teaching pastor.

Rob Neel is pastor at Upland United Methodist Church.

Curt Blasiman is pastor at Upland Friends Church

Other Churches include the Jefferson Christian Church and the Upland Christian Church.

Lightrider and Wandering Wheels are two Christian ministries which are headquartered in Upland. Wandering Wheels specializes in coast-to-coast cycling trips and has been in existence since 1964. Lightrider is a mobile retreat ministry that uses a 40-foot (12 m), double-decker motor coach equipped with seats and bunk beds. Next to Lightrider, is the "Red Barn" - a youth outreach center and the Gray Barn, a facility catering to senior activities.

Education

Upland residents attend:

Media

The county newspaper is the Marion Chronicle-Tribune. Also, two local weekly papers are issued: The Courier and SEG-way News. Both provide information specific to the Upland and Matthews communities, including town events, personal milestones, school information, advertisements, fire and police calls, and more.

References and notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Places: Indiana". 2010 Census Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-04-21.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-11.
  3. ↑ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  5. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Taylor University: The First 150 Years by William C. Ringenberg. Upland: Taylor University Press, 1996.
  7. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  8. ↑ "USATODAY.com - Travel Destinations and City Guides".

External links