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Wells County, Indiana
Wells County Courthouse P4020318
Wells County Courthouse in Bluffton
Map of Indiana highlighting Wells County
Location in the state of Indiana
Map of the U.S
Indiana's location in the U.S.
Founded 1837
Named for William A. Wells
Seat Bluffton
Largest city Bluffton
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

370.25 sq mi (959 km²)
368.09 sq mi (953 km²)
2.16 sq mi (6 km²), 0.58%
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

28,180
auto/sq mi (Expression error: Unrecognized word "auto"./km²)
Congressional district 3rd
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.wellscounty.org
Footnotes: Indiana county number 90

Wells County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 28,180.[1] The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Bluffton.[2]

Wells County is included in the Fort Wayne Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Fort WayneHuntingtonAuburn Combined Statistical Area.

History[]

The future state of Indiana was first regulated by passage of the Northwest Ordinance in 1787. The governing structure created by this act created Wayne County as part of Indiana Territory in 1796. As the Territory's lands began filling with settlers, other counties were organized, and in December 1816 the State of Indiana was admitted to the Union. The state legislature approved (on 7 February 1835) an omnibus bill which authorized the division of portions of Wayne County into thirteen counties.[3] Wells was named for William A. Wells.[4] It was assigned to Allen County for legislative and administrative affairs at first.

On 2 February 1837 an act was passed by the state, authorizing Wells County to be organized independent of Allen County, and specifying 1 May for the date of first meeting. However, that meeting did not take place, so an act dated 20 January 1838 further authorized the meeting of appointed commissioners to decide on a county seat. That vote was completed on 5 March 1838, selecting Bluffton.[5]

Geography[]

The low rolling hills of Wells County have been deforested and are now completely devoted to agriculture and urban development. The Wabash River flows to the northwest, draining the central and upper part of the county, while the lower part is drained by the Salamonie River, also flowing to the northwest.[6] The highest point on the terrain (935 feet/285 meters ASL) is an isolated rise on the county's south borderline with Jay County, one-half mile (0.8 km) east of the NE corner of Blackford County.[7]

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 370.25 square miles (958.9 km2), of which 368.09 square miles (953.3 km2) (or 99.42%) is land and 2.16 square miles (5.6 km2) (or 0.58%) is water.[8]

Adjacent counties[]

City and towns[]

  • Bluffton (city/county seat)
  • Markle (town; partly in Huntington County)
  • Ossian (town)
  • Poneto (town - named Worthington from 1871 to 1881)
  • Uniondale (town)
  • Vera Cruz (town)
  • Zanesville (town; partly in Allen County)

Unincorporated communities[]

  • Craigville
  • Curryville
  • Dillman
  • Domestic
  • Five Points
  • Greenville
  • Greenwood
  • Jeff
  • Keystone
  • Kingsland
  • Liberty Center
  • McNatts
  • Mount Zion
  • Murray
  • North Oaks
  • Nottingham
  • Petroleum
  • Phenix
  • Reiffsburg
  • Riverside
  • Rockford
  • Tocsin
  • Toll Gate Heights
  • Travisville
  • Wellsburg

Townships[]

  • Chester
  • Harrison
  • Jackson
  • Jefferson
  • Lancaster
  • Liberty
  • Nottingham
  • Rockcreek
  • Union

Major highways[]

  • I-69 Interstate 69
  • US 224 U.S. Route 224
  • Indiana 1 State Road 1
  • Indiana 3 State Road 3
  • Indiana 116 State Road 116
  • Indiana 124 State Road 124
  • Indiana 201 State Road 201
  • Indiana 218 State Road 218
  • Indiana 301 State Road 301

Climate and weather[]

Climate chart for Bluffton, Indiana
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
2.00
 
30
16
 
 
1.83
 
34
19
 
 
2.58
 
46
29
 
 
3.21
 
58
40
 
 
4.11
 
70
51
 
 
3.92
 
80
61
 
 
3.90
 
84
64
 
 
3.70
 
81
62
 
 
3.07
 
75
55
 
 
2.53
 
63
42
 
 
3.04
 
48
33
 
 
2.65
 
35
23
temperatures in °Cprecipitation totals in mm
source: The Weather Channel[9]

In recent years, average temperatures in Bluffton have ranged from a low of 16 °F (−9 °C) in January to a high of 84 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −24 °F (−31.1 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 104 °F (40 °C) was recorded in July 1980. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.83 inches (46 mm) in February to 4.11 inches (104 mm) in May.[9]

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 legislative branch of the county government; controls spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected to four-year terms from county districts. They set 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.[10][11]

Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county; commissioners are elected county-wide to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute acts legislated by the council, collect revenue, and manage the county government.[10][11]

Court: The county maintains a small claims court that handles civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years. 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.[11]

County Officials: The county has other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. The officers are elected to four-year terms. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.[11]

United States presidential election results for Wells County, Indiana[12]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 10,855 77.10% 2,928 20.80% 297 2.11%
2016 10,005 75.30% 2,586 19.46% 695 5.23%
2012 9,256 71.46% 3,436 26.53% 260 2.01%
2008 8,504 64.98% 4,403 33.64% 181 1.38%
2004 9,168 74.21% 3,112 25.19% 74 0.60%
2000 7,755 68.74% 3,319 29.42% 207 1.83%
1996 6,322 55.98% 3,752 33.22% 1,220 10.80%
1992 5,799 48.17% 3,282 27.26% 2,958 24.57%
1988 7,712 68.93% 3,437 30.72% 39 0.35%
1984 7,579 69.40% 3,274 29.98% 67 0.61%
1980 5,864 56.14% 3,760 36.00% 821 7.86%
1976 5,596 56.33% 4,250 42.78% 88 0.89%
1972 6,425 65.77% 3,244 33.21% 100 1.02%
1968 5,361 53.07% 3,827 37.89% 913 9.04%
1964 4,018 39.96% 5,945 59.12% 92 0.91%
1960 6,034 58.91% 4,128 40.30% 80 0.78%
1956 5,703 58.32% 3,984 40.74% 91 0.93%
1952 5,380 55.85% 3,963 41.14% 290 3.01%
1948 4,288 47.15% 4,726 51.97% 80 0.88%
1944 4,708 50.03% 4,475 47.56% 227 2.41%
1940 4,898 47.75% 5,236 51.05% 123 1.20%
1936 3,606 36.59% 6,189 62.81% 59 0.60%
1932 3,073 32.25% 6,236 65.45% 219 2.30%
1928 4,142 48.93% 4,246 50.16% 77 0.91%
1924 3,932 44.92% 4,537 51.83% 285 3.26%
1920 4,430 47.61% 4,653 50.01% 222 2.39%
1916 1,947 37.26% 2,928 56.03% 351 6.72%
1912 812 15.95% 2,760 54.20% 1,520 29.85%
1908 2,185 35.92% 3,345 54.99% 553 9.09%
1904 2,565 40.74% 3,127 49.67% 604 9.59%
1900 2,290 37.50% 3,599 58.94% 217 3.55%
1896 2,212 36.63% 3,728 61.74% 98 1.62%
1892 1,668 33.90% 2,725 55.37% 528 10.73%
1888 1,926 37.17% 2,942 56.77% 314 6.06%



Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1840 1,822
1850 6,152 237.7%
1860 10,844 76.3%
1870 13,585 25.3%
1880 18,442 35.8%
1890 21,514 16.7%
1900 23,449 9.0%
1910 22,418 −4.4%
1920 20,509 −8.5%
1930 18,411 −10.2%
1940 19,099 3.7%
1950 19,564 2.4%
1960 21,220 8.5%
1970 23,821 12.3%
1980 25,401 6.6%
1990 25,948 2.2%
2000 27,600 6.4%
2010 27,636 0.1%
US Decennial Census[13]
1790-1960[14] 1900-1990[15]
1990-2000[16] 2010-2020[17]

2010 Census[]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 27,636 people, 10,780 households, and 7,684 families in the county.[18] The population density was 75.1 inhabitants per square mile (29.0 /km2). There were 11,659 housing units at an average density of 31.7 per square mile (12.2 /km2).[8] The racial makeup of the county was 97.3% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.8% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.0% of the population.[18] In terms of ancestry, 38.4% were German, 12.3% were English, 10.8% were Irish, and 10.3% were American.[19] Of the 10,780 households, 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.7% were non-families, and 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age was 40.2 years.[18]

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $56,885. Males had a median income of $41,871 versus $30,031 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,169. About 6.2% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.[20]

Education[]

School districts include: Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District, Northern Wells Community Schools, and Southern Wells Community Schools.[21]

See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Wells County, Indiana

External links[]

References[]

  1. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named new-census
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ The thirteen counties: DeKalb, Fulton, Jasper, Jay, Kosciusko, Marshall, Newton, Porter, Pulaski, Stark, Steuben, Wells, and Whitley.
  4. ^ Captain William A. Wells was captured by Native Americans as a young boy and adopted by the Miami chief Little Turtle. He eventually became a scout for Gen. "Mad Anthony" Wayne. Capt. Wells was killed by Potawatomi allied with the British at the Battle of Fort Dearborn at the outbreak of the War of 1812.
  5. ^ Tyndall, John W; Lesh, O E (1918). Standard History of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co.. pp. 304–6. https://archive.org/details/standardhistoryo01tynd/page/n5/mode/2up. 
  6. ^ Wells County IN (Google Maps, accessed 6 August 2020)
  7. ^ Wells County High Point, Indiana (PeakBagger.com, accessed 6 August 2020)
  8. ^ a b "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". US Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US18179. 
  9. ^ a b "Monthly Averages for Bluffton IN". The Weather Channel. http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIN0047. 
  10. ^ a b Indiana Code. "Title 36, Article 2, Section 3". IN.gov. http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title36/ar2/ch3.html. 
  11. ^ 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. 
  12. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 
  13. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  14. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  15. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/in190090.txt. 
  16. ^ "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. 
  17. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named QF
  18. ^ a b c "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". US Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US18179. 
  19. ^ "Selected Social Characteristics in the US – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0400000US18%7c0500000US18179. 
  20. ^ "American FactFinder - Results". http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0400000US18%7C0500000US18179. 
  21. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Wells County, IN". U.S. Census Bureau. https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st18_in/schooldistrict_maps/c18179_wells/DC20SD_C18179.pdf. Retrieved 2022-07-23.  - Text list

Coordinates: 40°44′N 85°13′W / 40.73, -85.22


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Wells 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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