Wabash County, Indiana
Location in the state of Indiana
Indiana's location in the U.S.
Founded	1835
Named for	Wabash River
Seat	Wabash
Largest City	Wabash
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	420.98 sq mi (1,090 km²) 412.43 sq mi (1,068 km²) 8.54 sq mi (22 km²), 2.03%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	32,888 85/sq mi (33/km²)
Congressional district	5th
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Footnotes:   Indiana county number 85

Wabash County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 32,888.^[1] The county seat is Wabash^[2].

  History

The area was inhabited for thousands of years by cultures of indigenous peoples. French explorers and traders encountered the historical Miami Native Americans beginning in the 17th century.

Wabash County was established in 1835, when settlement increased after the American Revolution. They named it after the Wabash River. The name "Wabash" is an English spelling of the earlier French name for the river, Ouabache. French traders derived the French version from the Indian name for the river, Wabashike (prounounced "Wah-bah-she-keh") (meaning "pure white".) Much of the river bottom is white limestone, now obscured by mud.

  Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 420.98 square miles (1,090.3 km²), of which 412.43 square miles (1,068.2 km²) (or 97.97%) is land and 8.54 square miles (22.1 km²) (or 2.03%) is water.^[3]

  North Manchester from the air looking northeast.

  Adjacent counties

• Kosciusko County (north)
• Whitley County (northeast)
• Huntington County (east)
• Grant County (south)
• Miami County (west)
• Fulton County (northwest)

  Cities and towns

• La Fontaine
• Lagro
• Liberty Mills
• North Manchester
• Roann
• Wabash

  Unincorporated towns

  Extinct

• Dora

  Townships

  Major highways

  Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in Wabash have ranged from a low of 14 °F (−10 °C) in January to a high of 83 °F (28 °C) in July, although a record low of −24 °F (−31 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 103 °F (39 °C) was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.89 inches (48 mm) in February to 4.23 inches (107 mm) in June.^[4]

  Government

  Wabash County Courthouse

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, collecting 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 a four-year term. 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, assessor, prosecutor, 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.^[6]

  Demographics

As of the census^[8] of 2000, there were 34,960 people, 13,215 households, and 9,395 families residing in the county. The population density was 85 people per square mile (33/km²). There were 14,034 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile (13/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.38% White, 0.41% Black or African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races. 1.18% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 35.5% were of German, 21.8% American, 11.2% English and 8.9% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 13,215 households out of which 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.00% were married couples living together, 8.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.90% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.50% under the age of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 26.20% from 25 to 44, 23.30% from 45 to 64, and 15.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,413, and the median income for a family was $47,067. Males had a median income of $34,615 versus $21,939 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,192. About 5.10% of families and 6.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.40% of those under age 18 and 6.50% of those age 65 or over.

  See also

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

  References

  External links

• http://www.wabasharea.net/

	Fulton County	Kosciusko County	Whitley County
	Miami County		Huntington County
		Wabash County, Indiana
		Grant County

Municipalities and communities of Wabash County, Indiana, United States County seat: Wabash City Wabash Towns La Fontaine Lagro North Manchester Roann Townships Chester Lagro Liberty Noble Paw Paw Pleasant Waltz Unincorporated communities Bolivar Disko Ijamsville Laketon Liberty Mills Lincolnville Newton Pioneer Richvalley Servia Somerset South Haven Stockdale Treaty Urbana

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Coordinates: 40°51′N 85°47′W / 40.85°N 85.79°W / 40.85; -85.79