French Lick, Indiana

French Lick is a town in French Lick Township, Orange County, in the U.S. state of Indiana.[6] The population was 1,807 at the 2010 census. In November 2006, the French Lick Resort Casino, the state's tenth casino in the modern legalized era, opened, drawing national attention to the small town. However, it is best known as the hometown of basketball legend Larry Bird.

"French Lick" redirects here. For the site of Fort Nashborough, see History of Nashville, Tennessee.
French Lick, Indiana
Town
French Lick Resort and Larry Bird Boulevard
Location of French Lick in Orange County, Indiana.
Coordinates: 38°32′49″N 86°37′8″W
CountryUnited States
StateIndiana
CountyOrange
TownshipFrench Lick
Area
 • Total1.82 sq mi (4.72 km2)
 • Land1.82 sq mi (4.71 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation499 ft (152 m)
Population
 • Total1,807
 • Estimate 
(2019)[4]
1,777
 • Density976.37/sq mi (376.97/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
47432
Area code(s)812
FIPS code18-25972[5]
GNIS feature ID450938

History

French Lick was originally a French trading post built near a spring and salt lick. A fortified ranger post was established near the springs in 1811. On Johnson's 1837 map of Indiana, the community was known as Salt Spring. The town was founded in 1857.[7] French Lick's post office has been in operation since 1847.[8]

The sulfur springs were commercially exploited for medical benefits starting in 1840. By the later half of the 19th century, French Lick was famous in the United States as a spa town. In the early 20th century it also featured casinos attracting celebrities such as boxer Joe Louis, composer Irving Berlin and gangster Al Capone.

Due to wartime travel restrictions, the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox held spring training in French Lick from 1943 to 1944; in 1945 the Cubs stayed in town while the White Sox moved to Terre Haute - utilizing Memorial Stadium. In order to conserve rail transport during World War II, 1943 spring training was limited to an area east of the Mississippi River and north of the Ohio River.[9]

The French Lick Resort Casino was the focal point of most of the entertainment; the hotel remained open well after the casinos were closed down and the heyday of the town was well past. The resort closed for renovation in 2005 and re-opened in 2006.

Pluto Water, a best selling laxative of the first half of the 20th century, was bottled here. It was also home to a large 7 Up bottling facility, which ceased operations in the mid-20th century.

Franklin D. Roosevelt announced his intention to run for president at a National Governors' Convention held at the French Lick Springs Hotel.

The town is famous as the hometown of NBA great Larry Bird. Bird started for French Lick/West Baden's high school team, Springs Valley High School, where he left as the school's all-time scoring leader. In his later basketball career, one of Bird's nicknames was "the Hick from French Lick". French Lick is also the hometown of former Sacramento Kings head coach and TV color commentator Jerry Reynolds.

In 2015, the Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort played host to the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.

Photo from Small Town Indiana photo survey.

Geography

French Lick is located at 38°32′49″N 86°37′8″W (38.546872, -86.618939).[10] The area has rich mineral sources ("The Lick").

According to the 2010 census, French Lick has a total area of 1.77 square miles (4.58 km2), all land.[11]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
1900260—
19101,803593.5%
19201,9809.8%
19302,46224.3%
19402,042−17.1%
19501,946−4.7%
19601,9540.4%
19702,0595.4%
19802,26510.0%
19902,087−7.9%
20001,941−7.0%
20101,807−6.9%
2019 (est.)1,777[4]−1.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]

2010 census

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 1,807 people, 764 households, and 439 families living in the town. The population density was 1,020.9 inhabitants per square mile (394.2/km2). There were 924 housing units at an average density of 522.0 per square mile (201.5/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 88.8% White, 5.8% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.9% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population.

There were 764 households, of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.6% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.5% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.93.

The median age in the town was 39.2 years. 24% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 25.4% were from 45 to 64; and 18.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 46.9% male and 53.1% female.

2000 census
"Pluto Spring", French Lick, 1903

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,941 people, 849 households, and 513 families living in the town. The population density was 1,196.3 people per square mile (462.6/km2). There were 948 housing units at an average density of 584.3 per square mile (225.9/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 94.18% White, 3.66% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.26% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.46% of the population.

There were 849 households, out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.0% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $27,197, and the median income for a family was $36,583. Males had a median income of $26,046 versus $17,346 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,113. About 11.8% of families and 18.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.7% of those under age 18 and 17.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The town has a lending library, the Melton Public Library.[13]

References
  1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  2. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-11.
  4. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  5. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  6. "French Lick, Indiana". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-05-02.
  7. History of Lawrence, Orange, and Washington Counties, Indiana: From the Earliest Time to the Present. Higginson Book Company. 1884. pp. 505.
  8. "Orange County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  9. Suehsdorf, A. D. (1978). The Great American Baseball Scrapbook, p. 103. Random House. ISBN 0-394-50253-1.
  10. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  11. "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
  12. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  13. "Indiana public library directory" (PDF). Indiana State Library. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
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