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Jennings County, Indiana
Jennings County Indiana courthouse
Jennings County courthouse in Vernon, Indiana
Map of Indiana highlighting Jennings County
Location in the state of Indiana
Map of the U.S
Indiana's location in the U.S.
Founded 1817
Named for Jonathan Jennings
Seat Vernon
Largest city North Vernon
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

378.34 sq mi (980 km²)
376.58 sq mi (975 km²)
1.76 sq mi (5 km²), 0.47%
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

27,613
76/sq mi (29.20/km²)
Congressional district 6th
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Footnotes: Indiana county number 40

Jennings County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 27,613.[1] The county seat is Vernon.[2]

History[]

Jennings County was formed in 1817. It was named for the first Governor of Indiana and a nine-term congressman, Jonathan Jennings. Jennings was governor when the county was organized.[3]

Geography[]

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 378.34 square miles (979.9 km2), of which 376.58 square miles (975.3 km2) (or 99.53%) is land and 1.76 square miles (4.6 km2) (or 0.47%) is water.[4] It is a rural county, with majority of the county consisting of personal farms and woodlands. There are only two incorporated towns in this county, Vernon, the county seat, and North Vernon. Both are quite small and underdeveloped by urban standards. The county is located in the center of an imaginary triangle consisting of Indianapolis, IN, Cincinnati, OH, and Louisville, KY and requires only 114 hour drive time to any of these urban centers.

It is also home to the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, located just outside North Vernon, at which various training exercises and scenarios are conducted for homeland security and other similar purposes.[5]

City[]

  • North Vernon

Town[]

  • Vernon

Census-designated places[]

Other unincorporated places[]

  • Brewersville
  • Commiskey
  • Four Corners
  • Grayford
  • Hilltown
  • Lovett
  • Nebraska
  • Paris
  • Paris Crossing
  • Queensville
  • San Jacinto
  • Walnut Ridge
  • Zenas

Townships[]

  • Bigger
  • Campbell
  • Center
  • Columbia
  • Geneva
  • Lovett
  • Marion
  • Montgomery
  • Sand Creek
  • Spencer
  • Vernon

Adjacent counties[]

Major highways[]

Sources: National Atlas,[6] U.S. Census Bureau[7]

  • US 50 U.S. Route 50
  • Indiana 3 State Road 3
  • Indiana 7 State Road 7
  • Indiana 250 State Road 250

Parks and protected areas[]

  • Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge (part)
  • Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge (part)
  • Muscatatuck County Park
  • Selmier State Forest

Climate and weather[]

Climate chart for Vernon, Indiana
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
2.97
 
38
22
 
 
2.71
 
45
26
 
 
3.76
 
55
34
 
 
4.37
 
66
43
 
 
4.72
 
75
52
 
 
3.82
 
83
61
 
 
4.42
 
86
65
 
 
4.42
 
84
63
 
 
2.89
 
78
56
 
 
3.19
 
67
44
 
 
3.83
 
54
36
 
 
3.40
 
43
27
temperatures in °Cprecipitation totals in mm
source: The Weather Channel[8]

In recent years, average temperatures in Vernon have ranged from a low of 22 °F (−6 °C) in January to a high of 86 °F (30 °C) in July, although a record low of −24 °F (−31.1 °C) was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of 105 °F (41 °C) was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.71 inches (69 mm) in February to 4.72 inches (120 mm) in May.[8]

Government[]

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 county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms. They 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.[9][10]

Board of Commissioners: 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 the day-to-day functions of the county government.[9][10]

Court: 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 also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.[10]

County Officials: 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 to be residents of the county.[10]

Jennings County is part of Indiana's 6th congressional district and is represented in Congress by Republican Greg Pence. It is also part of Indiana Senate districts 43 and 45[11] and Indiana House of Representatives districts 66 and 69.[12]

Jennings County is, and has historically been, a staunchly Republican county and in the top 5 highest taxed counties in the state. Democratic presidential candidates have won Jennings County only thrice in the past 130 years.

United States presidential election results for Jennings County, Indiana[13]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 9,490 77.29% 2,523 20.55% 265 2.16%
2016 8,224 73.23% 2,364 21.05% 643 5.73%
2012 6,120 59.71% 3,821 37.28% 309 3.01%
2008 6,261 52.88% 5,312 44.87% 266 2.25%
2004 6,864 65.27% 3,538 33.64% 115 1.09%
2000 5,732 60.37% 3,549 37.38% 213 2.24%
1996 4,461 42.81% 4,223 40.53% 1,736 16.66%
1992 4,392 42.66% 3,471 33.72% 2,432 23.62%
1988 5,636 60.29% 3,667 39.23% 45 0.48%
1984 6,356 65.48% 3,264 33.63% 87 0.90%
1980 5,498 55.98% 3,931 40.02% 393 4.00%
1976 4,505 49.99% 4,430 49.16% 77 0.85%
1972 5,156 63.21% 2,903 35.59% 98 1.20%
1968 4,416 51.11% 2,996 34.68% 1,228 14.21%
1964 3,469 44.41% 4,307 55.14% 35 0.45%
1960 4,478 56.63% 3,403 43.03% 27 0.34%
1956 4,502 60.72% 2,879 38.83% 33 0.45%
1952 4,460 61.21% 2,777 38.11% 49 0.67%
1948 3,485 52.52% 3,084 46.47% 67 1.01%
1944 3,643 58.58% 2,537 40.79% 39 0.63%
1940 3,921 56.51% 2,989 43.08% 29 0.42%
1936 3,594 52.67% 3,157 46.27% 72 1.06%
1932 3,020 44.96% 3,603 53.64% 94 1.40%
1928 3,705 60.76% 2,369 38.85% 24 0.39%
1924 3,506 54.41% 2,730 42.36% 208 3.23%
1920 3,404 55.65% 2,603 42.55% 110 1.80%
1916 1,791 50.01% 1,686 47.08% 104 2.90%
1912 955 27.06% 1,577 44.69% 997 28.25%
1908 2,100 51.23% 1,871 45.65% 128 3.12%
1904 2,139 54.26% 1,688 42.82% 115 2.92%
1900 2,155 51.84% 1,925 46.31% 77 1.85%
1896 2,040 52.00% 1,850 47.16% 33 0.84%
1892 1,785 49.61% 1,381 38.38% 432 12.01%
1888 2,057 55.55% 1,598 43.15% 48 1.30%



Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1820 2,000
1830 3,974 98.7%
1840 8,829 122.2%
1850 12,096 37.0%
1860 14,749 21.9%
1870 16,218 10.0%
1880 16,453 1.4%
1890 14,608 −11.2%
1900 15,757 7.9%
1910 14,203 −9.9%
1920 13,280 −6.5%
1930 11,800 −11.1%
1940 13,680 15.9%
1950 15,250 11.5%
1960 17,267 13.2%
1970 19,454 12.7%
1980 22,854 17.5%
1990 23,661 3.5%
2000 27,554 16.5%
2010 28,525 3.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[14]
1790-1960[15] 1900-1990[16]
1990-2000[17] 2010-2020[1]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 28,525 people, 10,680 households, and 7,733 families residing in the county.[18] The population density was 75.7 inhabitants per square mile (29.2 /km2). There were 12,069 housing units at an average density of 32.0 per square mile (12.4 /km2).[4] The racial makeup of the county was 96.8% white, 0.8% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 1.0% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.0% of the population.[18] In terms of ancestry, 26.2% were German, 16.3% were Irish, 14.7% were American, and 7.2% were English.[19]

Of the 10,680 households, 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 27.6% were non-families, and 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.06. The median age was 38.4 years.[18]

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $48,470. Males had a median income of $38,506 versus $27,633 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,636. About 8.9% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.[20]

Education[]

Jennings County residents may obtain a library card from the Jennings County Public Library in North Vernon.[21]

In popular culture[]

Jennings County is the setting of the novel The Friendly Persuasion, later adapted into the Oscar-nominated film Friendly Persuasion in 1956. Although initially planned to be filmed on location, it was finally filmed in California.[22]Template:Circular ref

Notable residents[]

  • Sarah T. Bolton, poet
  • Ovid Butler, founder of Butler University
  • Royce Campbell, jazz guitarist
  • Cliff Daringer, Federal League baseball player
  • Rolla Daringer, Major League Baseball player
  • Lincoln Dixon, U.S. Representative from Indiana, 1905–1919
  • Scott Earl, Major League Baseball player
  • Robert Sanford Foster, Civil War General
  • John "Spider" Miller, 2015 & 2017 Walker Cup team captain
  • Jethro New, frontiersmen, Continental Army officer
  • Jeptha D. New, U.S. Representative from Indiana, 1875–1877, 1879–1881
  • John C. New, Treasurer of the United States, 1875-1876
  • Horatio C. Newcomb, Mayor of Indianapolis, 1849-1851
  • Hannah Milhous Nixon, mother of President Richard Nixon
  • Pat O'Connor, polesitter for the 1957 Indianapolis 500 and member of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame
  • Mike Simon, Major League Baseball player
  • Jessamyn West, author
  • Edgar Whitcomb, 43rd Governor of Indiana
  • Albert Edward Wiggam, psychologist, lecturer, and author

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Jennings County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/18/18079.html. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ De Witt Clinton Goodrich & Charles Richard Tuttle (1875). An Illustrated History of the State of Indiana. Indiana: R. S. Peale & co.. pp. 563. https://archive.org/details/anillustratedhi02tuttgoog. 
  4. ^ a b "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US18079. 
  5. ^ "Muscatatuck Urban Training Center". United States Department of Defense. http://www.mutc.org/. 
  6. ^ National Atlas Archived 2008-12-05 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau TIGER shape files". https://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/. 
  8. ^ a b "Monthly Averages for Vernon, Indiana". The Weather Channel. http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIN0684. 
  9. ^ a b Indiana Code. "Title 36, Article 2, Section 3". IN.gov. http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title36/ar2/ch3.html. 
  10. ^ a b c d Indiana Code. "Title 2, Article 10, Section 2". IN.gov. http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title3/ar10/ch2.pdf. 
  11. ^ "Indiana Senate Districts". State of Indiana. http://www.in.gov/sos/elections/3006.htm. 
  12. ^ "Indiana House Districts". State of Indiana. http://www.in.gov/sos/elections/3005.htm. 
  13. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 
  14. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  15. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  16. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/in190090.txt. 
  17. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  18. ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US18079. 
  19. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0400000US18%7c0500000US18079. 
  20. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0400000US18%7c0500000US18079. 
  21. ^ "Get A Library Card". Jennings County Public Library. https://jenningslib.org/get-a-library-card/. 
  22. ^ Friendly Persuasion (1956 film)#Production See the film's wikipage.

See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Jennings County, Indiana
  • USS Jennings County (LST-846)

Coordinates: 39°00′N 85°38′W / 39.00, -85.63


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Jennings County, Indiana. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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