Orange County, Indiana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Orange County, Indiana | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Indiana |
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 Indiana's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1816 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Paoli |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
408 sq mi (1,057 km²) 400 sq mi (1,036 km²) 9 sq mi (23 km²), 2.13% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
19,306 49/sq mi (19/km²) |
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2000, the population was 19,306. The county seat is Paoli[1].
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[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 408 square miles (1,057 km²), of which 400 square miles (1,035 km²) is land and 9 square miles (22 km²) (2.13%) is water.
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Lawrence County (north)
- Washington County (east)
- Crawford County (south)
- Dubois County (southwest)
- Martin County (northwest)
[edit] Major highways
- U.S. Route 150
- Indiana State Road 37
- Indiana State Road 56
- Indiana State Road 60
- Indiana State Road 145
- Indiana State Road 337
[edit] History
Orange County was formed from parts of Knox, Gibson and Washington Counties in 1816. The County Seat is at Paoli.
The early settlers were mostly Quakers fleeing the institution of slavery in Orange County, North Carolina. Jonathan Lindley brought his group of Quakers from North Carolina to the area in 1811. Under Lindley’s leadership, they were the first to build a religious structure, the Lick Creek Meeting House in 1813. It was from this group that Orange County got its name. [1]
(See List of Indiana county name etymologies). The name Orange derives from the Dutch Protestant House of Orange, which acquired the English throne with the accession of King William III in 1689, following the Glorious Revolution.
In the early 1800s when the Quakers came from North Carolina to settle in Orange County, Indiana, they came to escape slavery. They brought with them a number of freed slaves. These free men were deeded 200 acres of land in the heart of a dense forest. Word of mouth soon spread the news, and this land became part of the "underground railroad" for runaway slaves.
For many years, the freed slaves in this area farmed, traded, and sold their labor to others while living in this settlement. A church was built and a cemetery was provided for their loved ones.
All that remains today is the cemetery. Some of the stones were broken or vandalized over the years. Several years ago, a troop of Boy Scouts came in and restored the cemetery, replacing the lost or broken stones with wooden crosses designating a grave. The name of "Little Africa" came about because of the black settlement, but "Paddy's Garden" was the name those early residents called it.
[edit] Demographics
| Orange County Population by year |
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2000 19,306 |
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As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 19,306 people, 7,621 households, and 5,342 families residing in the county. The population density was 48 people per square mile (19/km²). There were 8,348 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile (8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.90% White, 0.63% Black or African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races. 0.56% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 38.0% were of American, 18.1% German, 11.8% English and 10.3% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 7,621 households out of which 32.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.60% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were non-families. 26.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.70% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 14.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,564, and the median income for a family was $38,505. Males had a median income of $28,658 versus $20,238 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,717. About 9.00% of families and 12.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.10% of those under age 18 and 12.90% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Cities and towns
[edit] Townships
- French Lick
- Greenfield
- Jackson
- Northeast
- Northwest
- Orangeville
- Orleans
- Paoli
- Southeast
- Stampers Creek
[edit] External links
- Official Orange County, Indiana Website
- Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau
- French Lick West Baden Chamber of Commerce
- Town of Orleans Website
- Official Paoli Information Website
- Paoli High School Alumni Website
- Lotus Dickey Memorial Website
- Springs Valley High School Blackhawk Brigade Website
[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.
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