Lafayette

City of Lafayette
—  City  —
Flag
Nickname(s): Star City
Coordinates: 40°25′2″N 86°52′43″W / 40.41722°N 86.87861°W / 40.41722; -86.87861Coordinates: 40°25′2″N 86°52′43″W / 40.41722°N 86.87861°W / 40.41722; -86.87861
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Tippecanoe
Townships	Fairfield, Wea
Platted	1825
Incorporated	1853
Founder	William Digby
Named for	General Lafayette
Government
- Mayor	Tony Roswarski (D)
Area
- City	20.1 sq mi (52.0 km2)
- Land	20.1 sq mi (52.0 km2)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
- Metro	904.6 sq mi (2,342.9 km2)
Elevation [1]	692 ft (211 m)
Population (2008)
- City	64,049
- Density	2,679/sq mi (1,083.6/km2)
- Metro	190,386
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	47901, 47904, 47905, 47909
Area code(s)	765
Twin Cities
- Ōta City	Japan
FIPS code	18-40788[2]
GNIS feature ID	0437501[3]
Website	http://www.lafayette.in.gov

Lafayette (pronounced /ˌlɑːfijˈɛt/) is a city in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, U.S., 63 miles (101 km) northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,397. The city is the county seat of Tippecanoe County^[4]. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on both communities. Together, Lafayette and West Lafayette form the core of the Lafayette, IN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which, as of the 2000 census, had a total population of 183,340, the 215th largest metropolitan area in the United States.

History

General Lafayette, 1792

This panoramic map illustrates a bird's-eye view of Lafayette, Indiana in 1868.

The Wabash River at Lafayette, Indiana, flowing from left to right (north to south). The Amtrak station at Riehle Plaza can be seen in the background.

The area around what is now Tippecanoe County was inhabited by a tribe of Miami Indians known as the Ouiatenon or Weas. The French government established Fort Ouiatenon in 1717 across the Wabash River and three miles (5 km) south of the location of present-day Lafayette. The fort became the center of trade for fur trappers, merchants and Indians. An annual reenactment and festival known as The Feast of the Hunters' Moon takes place there each fall. ^[5]

Lafayette was platted by the river trader William Digby, in May 1825. The town was made county seat for the newly formed Tippecanoe County soon after in 1826. Like many small frontier towns, Lafayette was officially named for General Lafayette, a French military hero who fought with and significantly aided the American Army during the American Revolutionary War (September 6, 1757—May 20, 1834). Lafayette famously toured the United States during 1824 and 1825)

In its earliest days Lafayette was a shipping center on the Wabash River. In 1838, Henry Leavitt Ellsworth, the first United States Patent Commissioner, published a booklet called Valley of the Upper Wabash, Indiana, with Hints on Its Agricultural Advantages to promote settlement of the region. By 1845 Ellsworth had purchased 93,000 acres of farmland in Lafayette and the region and had moved from Connecticut to oversee land sales.^[6] By 1847 Ellsworth was distributing broadsides looking for farmers to purchase his farmland.^[7] He became president of the Tippecanoe County Agricultural Society in April 1851, despite some local resentment over what was called "the Yale Crowd," and he was defeated the same year in a run for the Indiana House of Representatives.^[8] Lafayette's Ellsworth Street and Ellsworth Historic District are named for the early real estate developer.^[9]

The Wabash and Erie Canal in the 1840s further cemented Lafayette's regional prominence, which was also escalated by the arrival of the railroads in the 1850s. The Monon Railroad connected Lafayette with other sections of Indiana.

Lafayette was the site of the first official air mail delivery in the United States, which took place on August 17, 1859, when John Wise piloted a balloon starting on the Lafayette courthouse grounds. Wise hoped to reach New York; however, weather conditions forced the balloon down near Crawfordsville, Indiana, and the mail reached its final destination by train. In 1959, the U.S. Postal Service issued a 7¢ airmail stamp commemorating the centennial of the event.^[10]

Modern history owes a fair debt to Robert Kriebel, a reporter since retired from the Journal & Courier newspaper. By way of his books and columns the curious are provided a convenient, accessible, and even colorful way to grasp the events around and preceding him. Old Lafayette in two volumes is highly recommended. For further reading, the curious might look into some other notable historians of Lafayette appearing below. These were compiled by Kriebel for his "short list" as provided in the Lafayette Bank & Trust's The Best of Lafayette (2000): Sandford C. Cox, Richard P. DeHart, Sallie Sample, Sarah M. Crockett, Thomas B. Helm, Jesse Henderson Levering, Paul K. Mavity, Logan Esarey, and Herbery H. Heimlich.

Geography

Lafayette is located at 40°24′38″N 86°52′29″W / 40.410585°N 86.874681°W / 40.410585; -86.874681 (40.410585, -86.874681)^[11] and lies in Fairfield and Wea Townships. Elevation at the court house is 550 feet (168 m), but city elevations range from a little over 500 feet (150 m) at the Wabash River to approximately 700 feet (210 m) in the areas of Murdock Park and Columbian Park.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.1 square miles (52.0 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

Location of the Lafayette-Frankfort CSA and its components:      Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area      Frankfort Micropolitan Statistical Area

Broadside advertising sale of 200-acre farms, Lafayette, Indiana, 1847

Lafayette is the larger principal city of the Lafayette-Frankfort CSA, a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Lafayette metropolitan area (Benton, Carroll, and Tippecanoe counties) and the Frankfort micropolitan area (Clinton County),^[12][13][14] which had a combined population of 212,408 at the 2000 census.^[2]

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 56,397 people, 24,060 households, and 13,666 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,806.5 people per square mile (1,083.9/km²). There were 25,602 housing units at an average density of 1,274.1/sq mi (492.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.91% White, 3.22% African American, 0.37% Native American, 1.22% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 4.61% from other races, and 1.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.11% of the population.

There were 24,060 households out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.2% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 14.2% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,859, and the median income for a family was $45,480. Males had a median income of $32,892 versus $23,049 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,217. About 8.0% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.8% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members. Six are elected from individual districts. Three are elected at-large.

Education

Colleges

• Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana
• Harrison College

Public

K-12 public education in the Lafayette area is provided by the Lafayette School Corporation. New Community School is a tuition-free elementary charter school (sponsored by Ball State University) located in downtown Lafayette.

Private

• Faith Christian School - FCSLafayette.org
• First Assembly Christian Academy
• Lafayette Christian School
• Central Catholic Junior/Senior High School *LCSS.org
• St. Boniface Middle School
• St. Lawrence Catholic School
• St. Mary Cathedral Elementary School
• St. James Lutheran School

Notes

• Purdue University is located in West Lafayette, Indiana.
• Public schools outside of Lafayette are administered by the West Lafayette Community School Corporation or the Tippecanoe School Corporation (suburban).

News and Media

Newspaper

• Journal & Courier. The newspaper serves the Greater Lafayette area. The newsroom and offices are located on the East side of Lafayette.
• Purdue Exponent. Purdue University's daily independent student newspaper serving Purdue, West Lafayette, and Lafayette. Newsroom and offices located just off campus on Northwestern Avenue in West Lafayette.
• The Lafayette Leader

Television

• WLFI-TV
• W51DU

Commercial Radio Stations

• WASK
• WASK-FM
• WAZY-FM
• WKHL-FM
• WKHY-FM
• WKOA-FM
• WBPE-FM
• WSHP-FM
• WSHY-AM
• WXXB-FM

Non-commercial Radio Stations

• WBAA-AM/FM
• WHPL-FM
• WJEF-FM
• WQSG-FM
• WTGO-LP FM
• WWCC-LP FM

Transportation

US Route 52 Lafayette

Airports

• Purdue University Airport (LAF), West Lafayette. Currently no commercial flights.

Highways

• Interstate 65 to Gary, Indiana (near Chicago) and Indianapolis
• US 52 to Joliet, Illinois (also near Chicago) and Indianapolis
• US 231
• State Road 25
• State Road 26
• State Road 38
• State Road 43

Railroads
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides passenger rail service to Lafayette through the Cardinal to Chicago, Washington D.C., and New York City. Norfolk Southern, CSX, Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad, and Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway (RailAmerica) provide freight rail service. Many of the rails lines that originally passed through the downtown were redirected in the mid-1990s to a rail corridor near the Wabash River.^[15][16]

CityBus

Bus Service

• CityBus local bus service by the Greater Lafayette Public Transportation Corporation
• Greyhound intercity bus service
• Lafayette Limo shuttle service to the Indianapolis International Airport

Economy

Much of the economy of the city of Lafayette and the surrounding area is centered around the academic and industrial activities of Purdue University. The university and its associated businesses employ the largest portion of the Lafayette workforce. However, private industry and commerce independent of the university also exist in the community. Some notable examples include:

• Alcoa, a producer of aluminum extrusions and tubes.
• Caterpillar Large Engine Division, producer of large diesel and natural gas engines.
• Fairfield Manufacturing, producer of gears.
• Wabash National, world's largest manufacturer of semi-truck trailers
• Subaru of Indiana Automotive, producer of Subaru and now, Toyota vehicles.
• Eli Lilly and Company (Tippecanoe Laboratories) pharmaceuticals.
• Lafayette Life Insurance CompanyThe Lafayette Life Insurance Company, insurance and annuity services
• Tate & Lyle, manufacturer of Splenda(R) and other sweeteners
• TRW Commercial Steering Systems
• Landis+Gyr, manufacturer of electric meters for global ANSI markets
• Alorica, call center services
• Lafayette Community Bank, private bank part of the FDIC

Notable residents and natives

For notable residents associated with Purdue University see List of Purdue University people

Entertainment

• Karen Black - Actress
• Jeremy Camp - Christian recording artist
• Embeth Davidtz - Actress
• Henry Leavitt Ellsworth - First Commissioner of U.S. Patent Office; real estate developer
• Louise Fazenda - Silent film comic actress, character actress in the "talkies"
• Kevin Galbraith - Professional Dancer on MTV's "The Grind" and "Prince" (also former guitarist of "Rattail Grenadier")
• Mass Giorgini - Record producer (Alkaline Trio, Anti-Flag, Rise Against) and bassist of Screeching Weasel, bassist and vocalist of Squirtgun, and bassist and saxophonist of Common Rider
• Troy Hickman - Writer best known for his comic book work, including the Eisner-nominated Common Grounds, Twilight Guardian, City of Heroes, Witchblade, Turok, and others.
• Shannon Hoon - Former singer of Blind Melon
• John Korty - Director, screenwriter, best known for Oliver's Story
• Tammy Lynn Michaels - Actress - Partner of Melissa Etheridge [1]
• Zachariah Nagy - Musician, producer, and guitar technician for Joan Jett
• Sydney Pollack - Actor, director, and producer
• Victor Potel - Silent film actor, worked for Mack Sennett and was "Slippery Slim" in the "Snakeville" series [2]
• Axl Rose - Guns N' Roses co-founder and vocalist - Bill Bailey
• Peter Sattler - graphic designer for the feature film Walk the Line[3]
• Julia Scheeres - Author, best known for ALA Alex Award winning memoir Jesus Land
• Izzy Stradlin - Guns N' Roses rhythm guitarist

Sports

• Bob Friend RHP for Pittsburgh Pirates
• Ray Ewry - Ten-time Olympic champion
• Bernard "Bernie" Flowers - Purdue All American and NFL Baltimore Colts 1950s, born in the Cleveland area, made Lafayette home
• Dustin Keller - New York Jets NFL Tight end and Lafayette Jefferson High School graduate
• Chuckie Nwokorie - NFL defensive player and Lafayette Jefferson High School graduate
• George Souders - Won the Indianapolis 500 during his rookie season in 1927
• William Fritz Afflis - Wrestled as Dick the Bruiser from 1950s to 1980s and Lafayette Jefferson High School graduate
• Eric Bruntlett - Philadelphia Phillies infielder
• Clayton Richard - San Diego Padres pitcher
• Erik Sabel - Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher
• Todd Dunwoody - MLB player for The Florida Marlins, The Chicago Cubs, The Kansas City Royals, and The Cleveland Indians. He is currently a batting coach for The Arizona Diamondbacks.

Business, law, politics

• Roger D. Branigin - Governor of Indiana 1965-1969
• Steve Carter - Indiana Attorney General
• Clara Shortridge Foltz (1849-1934) - first woman lawyer on the Pacific coast.
• Brian Lamb - Host of "Booknotes" TV series, 1989. C-SPAN founder
• John Purdue - Purdue Block, Tippecanoe County founder, founding benefactor of Purdue University
• Alvah Curtis Roebuck - founded Sears, Roebuck and Company

Academic, science, technology

• Daniel X Freedman - pioneer in biological psychiatry, discovered link of hallucinogens to brain transmitters.
• Donald E. Williams - astronaut

Floyd Loop, MD - Former President and CEO of the Cleveland Clinic

Local civic organizations

• The Bach Chorale Singers
• Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette
• Downtown Business Center
• Historic Ninth Street Hill Neighborhood Association
• Lafayette Citizens Band
• Lafayette Music League
• Lafayette Symphony Orchestra

• Wabash Valley Trust for Historic Preservation
• Tippecanoe Arts Federation
• Tippecanoe County Historical Association
• Friends of BOB live Music Co-op

Points of interest

• Purdue University, located in West Lafayette
• Jerry E. Clegg Botanic Garden
• Horticulture Gardens at Purdue University
• Lafayette Farmer's Market in historic downtown (May through October)
• Ninth Street Hill Historic District
• Tippecanoe Battlefield (in Battle Ground, IN), see also Battle of Tippecanoe

• Wolf Park (Battle Ground, IN)
• Prophetstown State Park (Battle Ground, IN)
• Columbian Park and Zoo

Notable buildings

• The old Temple Israel (Lafayette, Indiana) building at 17 South 7th St. is one of the ten oldest synagogue buildings surviving in the United States.
• Trinity United Methodist Church of Lafayette, Indiana (formerly Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, until 1969) is the first church to have been started in the Lafayette, Indiana area. Its current building was erected in 1869 by William Heath and has remained intact to this day.

Community Events

• The Feast of the Hunters' Moon (Mid to Late September or Early October)
• A Taste of Tippecanoe (Mid June)
• Colt World Series (August)
• Indiana Fiddlers' Gathering (in Battle Ground in June)
• First Edition's Haunted Feargrounds (October)
• Lafayette Citizens Band concerts (Thursdays in the summer)
• Round The Fountain Art Fair (Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend - celebrating 35 years in 2008!)
• Long Center for the Performing Arts Historical theater providing Lafayette's not-for-profits and other with vibrant venue.
• BMF Wrestling Alliance featuring some of the Midwest's best professional wrestling (usually once a month all year round)

See also

• Neighborhoods of Lafayette
• West Lafayette, Indiana

Gallery

Lafayette skyline from West Lafayette

The Court House - Downtown

References

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2007)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lafayette, Indiana

Indiana portal

• City of Lafayette, Indiana website
• Lafayette Online
• Lafayette, Indiana travel guide from Wikitravel
• Lafayette Journal and Courier (Local newspaper, owned by Gannett)

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