| Pulaski County, Indiana | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Indiana |
|
 Indiana's location in the U.S. |
|
| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1839 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Winamac |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
435 sq mi (1,127 km²) 434 sq mi (1,124 km²) 1 sq mi (3 km²), 0.20% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
13,755 32/sq mi (12/km²) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website: www.pulaskionline.org | |
Pulaski County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. According to the 2000 U.S. census, the population was 13,755. The county seat is Winamac.[1]
Contents |
History
Pulaski County was formed in 1839. It was is named for Kazimierz Pułaski, an ally of the Americans during the Revolutionary War. He was killed in 1779 at the Siege of Savannah. An adjacent County, Jasper, was also named for a hero of Savannah.[2]
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.[3][4]
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, the collection of revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.[3][4]
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 terms of four years. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.[4]
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 serve terms of four years and oversee different parts of the county government. Members elected to any county government position are required to declare a party affiliation and be a resident of the county.[4]
Pulaski County is part of Indiana's 2nd congressional district and in 2008 was represented by Joe Donnelly in the United States Congress.[5]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 435 square miles (1,126 km²), of which 434 square miles (1,123 km²) is land and 1 square mile (2 km²) (0.20%) is water.
Cities and towns
Townships
- Beaver
- Cass
- Franklin
- Harrison
- Indian Creek
- Jefferson
- Monroe
- Rich Grove
- Salem
- Tippecanoe
- Van Buren
- White Post
Adjacent counties
- Starke County (north)
- Marshall County (northeast)
- Fulton County (east)
- Cass County (southeast)
- White County (south)
- Jasper County (west)
Major highways
U.S. Route 35
U.S. Route 421
Indiana State Road 14
Indiana State Road 39
Indiana State Road 114
Indiana State Road 119
Railroads
Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1840 | 561 |
|
|
| 1850 | 2,595 | 362.6% | |
| 1860 | 5,711 | 120.1% | |
| 1870 | 7,801 | 36.6% | |
| 1880 | 9,851 | 26.3% | |
| 1890 | 11,233 | 14.0% | |
| 1900 | 14,033 | 24.9% | |
| 1910 | 13,312 | −5.1% | |
| 1920 | 12,385 | −7.0% | |
| 1930 | 11,195 | −9.6% | |
| 1940 | 12,056 | 7.7% | |
| 1950 | 12,493 | 3.6% | |
| 1960 | 12,837 | 2.8% | |
| 1970 | 12,534 | −2.4% | |
| 1980 | 13,258 | 5.8% | |
| 1990 | 12,643 | −4.6% | |
| 2000 | 13,755 | 8.8% | |
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 13,755 people, 5,170 households, and 3,779 families residing in the county. The population density was 32 people per square mile (12/km²). There were 5,918 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.53% White, 0.92% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. 1.39% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 41.2% were of German, 15.5% American, 10.4% Irish and 7.6% English ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 5,170 households out of which 33.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.40% were married couples living together, 7.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.90% were non-families. 23.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.90% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 27.30% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 15.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 101.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,422, and the median income for a family was $41,028. Males had a median income of $30,673 versus $21,246 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,835. About 6.30% of families and 8.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.40% of those under age 18 and 6.90% of those age 65 or over.
On March 11, 2007, Pulaski County switched from Central Standard Time to Eastern Time with daylight saving time, and will henceforth remain in the Eastern time zone.
Education
Public schools in Pulaski County are administered by the Eastern Pulaski Community School Corporation and the West Central School Corporation.
High Schools
- Winamac Community High School
- West Central High School
Middle Schools
- Winamac Community Middle School
- West Central Middle School
Elementary Schools
- Eastern Pulaski Elementary School
- West Central Elementary School
Trivia
- Most residents of Pulaski County mispronounce the name of the county as /pʊlæ'skaɪ/, as opposed to the commonly accepted pronunciation of /pʊlæ'ski/.
- Sasquatch is fabled to roam "Haschel's Hill", near the Tippecanoe State Park, 3.96 miles north of the county seat of Winamac.
External links
- Pulaski County official website
- Eastern Pulaski Community School Corporation
- West Central School Corporation
References
- Forstall, Richard L. (editor) (1996). Population of states and counties of the United States: 1790 to 1990 : from the twenty-one decennial censuses. United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Population Division. ISBN 0-934213-48-8.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ De Witt Clinton Goodrich & Charles Richard Tuttle (1875). An Illustrated History of the State of Indiana. Indiana: R. S. Peale & co.. pp. 571. http://books.google.com/books?id=YDIUAAAAYAAJ.
- ^ a b Indiana Code. "Title 36, Article 2, Section 3". IN.gov. http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title36/ar2/ch3.html. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ 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. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ "US Congressman Joe Donnelly". US Congress. http://www.house.gov/donnelly/. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
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Starke County | Marshall County | |
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| Jasper County |  |
Fulton County | ||
 Pulaski County, Indiana  |
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| White County | Cass County |
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