Kosciusko County, Indiana

Kosciusko County (/ˌkɒskiˈʌskoʊ/ KOS-kee-US-koh) is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. At the 2010 United States Census, its population was 77,358.[1] The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Warsaw.[2]

Kosciusko County
U.S. county
Kosciusko County Courthouse in Warsaw
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
Indiana's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 41°14′N 85°52′W
Country United States
State Indiana
Founded7 February 1835 (authorized)
1836 (organized)
Named forTadeusz Kościuszko
SeatWarsaw
Largest cityWarsaw
Area
 • Total554.39 sq mi (1,435.9 km2)
 • Land531.38 sq mi (1,376.3 km2)
 • Water23.01 sq mi (59.6 km2)  4.15%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2018)
79,344
 • Density149.3/sq mi (57.6/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts2nd, 3rd
Websitewww.kcgov.com
Indiana county number 43

The county was organized in 1836. It was named for the Polish general Tadeusz Kościuszko who served in the American Revolutionary War and then returned to Poland.[3] The county seat is named for Warsaw, the capital of Poland.[4]

History

The Indiana State Legislature passed an omnibus county bill[5] on 7 February 1835 that authorized the creation of thirteen counties[6] in northeast Indiana, including Kosciusko. The county government was organized beginning in 1836. The county's boundary lines have remained unchanged since 1835.

Geographical features

Kosciusko County terrain consists of low rolling hills dotted with bodies of water and drainages, with all available area devoted to agriculture or urban development.[7] Its highest point (1025'/312 meters ASL) is a hill NE of Dewart Lake.[8] The Tippecanoe River flows westward through the central part of the county, while the Eel River flows southwestward through the county's SE corner.[7]

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 554.39 square miles (1,435.9 km2), of which 531.38 square miles (1,376.3 km2) (or 95.85%) is land and 23.01 square miles (59.6 km2) (or 4.15%) is water.[9]

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Lakes
  • Banning Lake
  • Beaver Dam Lake
  • Big Barbie Lake
  • Big Chapman Lake
  • Carr Lake
  • Center Lake
  • Dewart Lake
  • Diamond Lake
  • Fish Lake
  • Goose Lake
  • Hoffman Lake
  • Irish Lake
  • James Lake
  • Kuhn Lake
  • Lake Wawasee
  • Little Barbee Lake
  • Little Chapman Lake
  • Loon Lake
  • McClures Lake
  • Muskellunge Lake
  • Palestine Lake
  • Papakeechie Lake
  • Pike Lake
  • Ridinger Lake
  • Rock Lake (part)
  • Sechrist Lake
  • Shoe Lake
  • Silver Lake
  • Syracuse Lake
  • Tippecanoe Lake
  • Waubee Lake
  • Winona Lake
  • Yellow Creek Lake[7]

Protected areas
  • Center Lake Wetland Conservation Area
  • Edmund and Virginia Ball Nature Preserve
  • Pisgah Marsh Nongame Area (part)[7]

City and towns

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Airports

Climate and weather
Warsaw, Indiana
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
1.9
 
 
31
15
 
 
1.5
 
 
35
18
 
 
2.1
 
 
47
28
 
 
3.4
 
 
59
38
 
 
3.8
 
 
71
49
 
 
4.5
 
 
79
58
 
 
3.7
 
 
82
62
 
 
4.1
 
 
80
60
 
 
3.2
 
 
73
53
 
 
3
 
 
62
42
 
 
3
 
 
48
32
 
 
2.6
 
 
35
21
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
Source: The Weather Channel[11]

In recent years, average temperatures in Warsaw have ranged from a low of 15 °F (−9 °C) in January to a high of 82 °F (28 °C) in July, although a record low of −25 °F (−32 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 103 °F (39 °C) was recorded in July 1976. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.45 inches (37 mm) in February to 4.51 inches (115 mm) in June.[11]

Community
Southern Kosciusko County is dotted with small lakes like Beaver Dam Lake (foreground) near Silver Lake.

Newspapers

Government
See also: Government of Indiana

The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code.

County Council: The legislative branch of the county government; controls spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives, elected to four-year terms from county districts, are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council 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.[12][13]

Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county; commissioners are elected countywide to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute the acts legislated by the council, collect revenue, and manage the county government.[12][13]

Court: The county maintains a small claims court that handles civil cases. The county also maintains a Circuit and Superior Court. The judge on each court is elected to a term of six years and must be a member of the Indiana bar.

County Officials: The county has other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. The officials are elected countywide to four-year terms. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.[13]

Kosciusko County is part of Indiana's 2nd and 3rd congressional districts. It is also part of Indiana Senate districts 9, 13, 17 and 18[14] and Indiana House of Representatives districts 18, 22 and 23.[15]

Elected officials:

  • Kyle Dukes - Sheriff
  • Daniel Hampton - Prosecutor
  • Susan Engelberth - Assessor
  • Michelle Puckett - Auditor
  • Ann Torpy - Clerk
  • Joetta Mitchell - County Recorder
  • Sue Ann Mitchell - Treasurer
  • Ronald Truex - Middle District Commissioner
  • Robert M. Conley - Southern District Commissioner
  • Bradford Jackson, President - Northern District Commissioner
  • Michael Wilson, Certified Death Investigator, Coroner

Kosciusko County is a Republican Party stronghold in presidential elections. Woodrow Wilson in 1912 and Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 are the only two Democratic Party candidates to win the county from 1888 to the present day.

Presidential election results
Presidential election results[16]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2020 74.1% 26,499 23.4% 8,364 2.6% 924
2016 73.8% 23,935 19.5% 6,313 6.8% 2,193
2012 74.8% 22,558 22.8% 6,862 2.4% 720
2008 67.9% 20,488 30.6% 9,236 1.5% 461
2004 78.1% 22,136 21.1% 5,977 0.9% 247
2000 75.3% 19,040 22.9% 5,785 1.8% 459
1996 63.0% 15,084 25.8% 6,166 11.3% 2,695
1992 57.4% 14,179 21.5% 5,307 21.1% 5,197
1988 76.7% 17,761 23.0% 5,321 0.4% 81
1984 77.9% 17,560 21.6% 4,877 0.5% 110
1980 68.8% 15,633 25.0% 5,684 6.2% 1,413
1976 65.6% 14,505 33.1% 7,328 1.3% 291
1972 78.9% 16,216 20.6% 4,233 0.5% 96
1968 64.0% 12,633 27.1% 5,342 9.0% 1,769
1964 54.1% 10,488 45.2% 8,759 0.7% 141
1960 69.1% 13,539 29.8% 5,839 1.1% 213
1956 71.7% 12,777 27.5% 4,904 0.8% 143
1952 69.0% 11,521 28.0% 4,677 3.1% 512
1948 62.8% 9,327 34.4% 5,102 2.9% 426
1944 65.1% 9,577 33.1% 4,865 1.8% 266
1940 62.7% 9,879 36.6% 5,768 0.7% 113
1936 53.9% 8,182 45.4% 6,890 0.7% 107
1932 47.8% 7,063 50.5% 7,475 1.7% 253
1928 63.2% 7,973 36.0% 4,537 0.9% 110
1924 58.3% 6,819 37.5% 4,384 4.2% 487
1920 61.7% 8,326 35.8% 4,836 2.5% 342
1916 51.2% 4,025 43.8% 3,447 5.0% 393
1912 24.5% 1,767 39.0% 2,817 36.5% 2,636
1908 54.5% 4,377 41.8% 3,362 3.7% 300
1904 57.9% 4,550 37.1% 2,913 5.1% 398
1900 56.3% 4,422 41.5% 3,265 2.2% 172
1896 55.6% 4,342 43.2% 3,372 1.2% 94
1892 53.2% 3,823 42.7% 3,064 4.1% 294
1888 55.8% 4,147 41.5% 3,081 2.7% 203

Education

School districts

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18404,170—
185010,243145.6%
186017,41870.0%
187023,53135.1%
188026,49412.6%
189028,6458.1%
190029,1091.6%
191027,936−4.0%
192027,120−2.9%
193027,4881.4%
194029,5617.5%
195033,00211.6%
196040,37322.3%
197048,12719.2%
198059,55523.7%
199065,2949.6%
200074,05713.4%
201077,3584.5%
2019 (est.)79,456[17]2.7%
US Decennial Census[18]
1790-1960[19] 1900-1990[20]
1990-2000[21] 2010-2013[1]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 77,358 people, 29,197 households, and 20,740 families in the county.[22] The population density was 145.6 inhabitants per square mile (56.2/km2). There were 37,038 housing units at an average density of 69.7 per square mile (26.9/km2).[9] The racial makeup of the county was 93.3% white, 0.8% Asian, 0.7% black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 3.4% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.3% of the population.[22] In terms of ancestry, 33.5% were German, 11.5% were Irish, 10.8% were English, and 8.2% were American.[23]

Of the 29,197 households, 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.0% were non-families, and 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.07. The median age was 37.7 years.[22]

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $56,305. Males had a median income of $44,358 versus $29,320 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,019. About 7.0% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.5% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.[24]

Notable residents

See also

References
  1. "Kosciusko County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 31 May 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
  3. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Government Printing Office. p. 177.
  4. De Witt Clinton Goodrich & Charles Richard Tuttle (1875). An Illustrated History of the State of Indiana. Indiana: R. S. Peale & Co. p. 563.
  5. John W Tyndall & OE Lesh, Standard history of Adams and Wells Counties, Indiana. pp. 284-6 (accessed 9 August 2020)
  6. The counties are Dekalb, Fulton, Jasper, Jay, Kosciusko, Marshall, Newton, Porter, Pulaski, Stark, Steuben, Wells, and Whitley. Newton County was merged with Jasper County in 1839, and was re-authorized as a separate county in 1859.
  7. Kosciusko County IN (Google Maps, accessed 30 July 2020)
  8. Kosciusko County High Point, Indiana (PeakBagger.com, accessed 30 July 2020)
  9. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  10. Nappanee Municipal Airport, Nappanee IN (Google Maps, accessed 30 July 2020)
  11. "Monthly Averages for Warsaw IN". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
  12. Indiana Code. "Title 36, Article 2, Section 3". IN.gov. Retrieved 16 September 2008.
  13. Indiana Code. "Title 2, Article 10, Section 2" (PDF). IN.gov. Retrieved 16 September 2008.
  14. "Indiana Senate Districts". State of Indiana. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  15. "Indiana House Districts". State of Indiana. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  16. Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  17. "American FactFinder". Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  18. "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  19. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  20. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  21. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  22. "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  23. "Selected Social Characteristics in the US – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 14 February 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  24. "Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 14 February 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  25. (clunette.com/Schenkel)

Sources

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