| Steuben County, Indiana | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Indiana |
|
 Indiana's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1837 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Angola |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
322 sq mi (835 km²) 309 sq mi (800 km²) 14 sq mi (36 km²), 4.27% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
33,214 108/sq mi (42/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Named for: Baron Frederick von Steuben | |
Steuben County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2000, the population was 33,214. The county seat is Angola[1].
Contents |
History
From the 1876 Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana:[2]
- The smoke from the first permanent settler's cabin first arose within the present limits of Steuben County in the spring of 1831. That settler was Gideon Langdon. His rude cabin was in the southwest quarter of Section 5, Jackson Township, afterward known as the Town farm. Langdon, on the 17th of September, in the year following, made the first entry of land recorded in the county, being the east half of the quarter named.
- It was in what is now Jackson Township that the first settlers mostly located. Jackson Township contains considerable prairie land, and the first immigrants, at a time when their choice was unrestricted, naturally selected the rich, fertile soil there, because of the comparative ease with which it was brought under cultivation.
- The next settlers were John and Jacob Stayner, and their families - twelve persons in all. The Stayners came from Ohio, and arrived in Jackson Township on May 16, 1831. John built on the north side of the prairie, and entered the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 5, September 27, 1832, being ten days after Langdon's entry, and the second made in the present limits of the county. [3]
- The two brothers had been soldiers under Jackson in the War of 1812, and were both strong and hearty men. John Stayner lived upon the land entered by him until his death in 1870. He was sent to the Legislature, and the township in which he lived was, at his instance, named Jackson in honor of his old military chieftain.
- The first white child born within the present limits of the county was Zephaniah Stayner. He is still a resident of the township in which he first saw the light.
- The first death was that of Mrs. Gideon Langdon, in 1832. The remains were interred in the prairie burying ground, on land that has since passed into the possession of D. H. Roberts.
- The first marriage was contracted between James Huntsman and Hannah Davis, in 1832, before the organization of the county.
- The first schoolhouse erected in the county was on the north side of Jackson Prairie. Hannah Davis, the first bride in the little community, was the first teacher. The first schoolhouse was a rude tamarack cabin, erected at a cost of about $50, by John Stayner and Adolphus Town. Eliza Eaton was the next teacher, and received $2 for each pupil, that being the tax levied on those sending their children to the school.
Steuben County was officially created in 1837 from LaGrange County, and named for Baron Frederick von Steuben, an officer of the Revolutionary War.[4]
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.[5][6]
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.[5][6]
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.[6]
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.[6]
Steuben County is part of Indiana's 3rd congressional district and in 2008 was represented by Mark Souder in the United States Congress.[7]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 322 square miles (835 km²), of which 309 square miles (800 km²) is land and 14 square miles (36 km²) (4.27%) is water.
Cities and towns
Unincorporated towns
Townships
Adjacent counties
- Branch County, Michigan (north)
- Hillsdale County, Michigan (northeast)
- Williams County, Ohio (east)
- DeKalb County (south)
- Noble County (southwest)
- LaGrange County (west)
Major highways
Indiana Toll Road (Interstate 80 and Interstate 90)
Interstate 69
U.S. Route 20
Indiana State Road 1
Indiana State Road 120
Indiana State Road 127
Indiana State Road 327
Indiana State Road 427
Indiana State Road 827
Attractions
- Pokagon State Park, a popular state park with year-round activities is located entirely in the county.
Demographics
| Steuben County Population by year |
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2000 33,214 |
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As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 33,214 people, 12,738 households, and 8,916 families residing in the county. The population density was 108 people per square mile (42/km²). There were 17,337 housing units at an average density of 56 per square mile (22/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.19% White, 0.37% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.85% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. 2.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 36.1% were of German, 18.1% American, 10.7% English and 7.5% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 12,738 households out of which 32.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.00% were married couples living together, 8.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.00% were non-families. 24.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.70% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 28.50% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 11.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 102.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $44,089, and the median income for a family was $50,567. Males had a median income of $35,300 versus $23,856 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,647. About 4.90% of families and 6.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.40% of those under age 18 and 7.00% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Colleges and universities
School districts
- Fremont Community Schools
- Hamilton Community Schools
- M S D of Steuben County
- Prairie Heights Community School Corporation
Footnotes
- ^ "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.
- ^ Andreas, Alfred T. (1876). Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana, Baskin, Forster, Co., Chicago.
- ^ "There is some dispute as to whether they [the Stayners] or Gideon Langdon settled first, as they all came in at about the same time". History of Steuben County (1885), Inter-State Publishing Co., Chicago.
- ^ De Witt Clinton Goodrich & Charles Richard Tuttle (1875). An Illustrated History of the State of Indiana. Indiana: R. S. Peale & co.. pp. 573. 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 Mark Souder". US Congress. http://souder.house.gov/. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links
- Official Site of Steuben County, Indiana
- Steuben County Tourism Bureau
- Steuben County Community Foundation
- Carnegie Public Library of Steuben County
- Steuben County Genealogical Society
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.
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Branch County, Michigan | Hillsdale County, Michigan | |
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| LaGrange County |  |
Williams County, Ohio | ||
 Steuben County, Indiana  |
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| Noble County | DeKalb County |
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