Adams County, Indiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Adams County
U.S. county
Adams County courthouse in Decatur
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
Indiana's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Indiana
Founded	March 1, 1836
Named for	John Quincy Adams
Seat	Decatur
Largest city	Decatur
Area
• Total	339.97 sq mi (880.5 km2)
• Land	339.03 sq mi (878.1 km2)
• Water	0.94 sq mi (2.4 km2)  0.28%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	35,809
• Density	105.3299/sq mi (40.6681/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	3rd
FIPS No. 001

Adams County lies in northeastern Indiana in the United States and shares its eastern border with Ohio. It was officially established in 1836. The county seat is Decatur.

According to the 2020 census, its population was 35,809, an increase of 4.1% from 34,387 in 2010. The county has four incorporated cities and towns with a total population of over 15,000, as well as many small unincorporated communities. The county is divided into 12 townships which provide local services. There are four Indiana state roads in the county, as well as three U.S. Routes and one railroad line.

In 2017, about a quarter of the county's population (estimated 8,600) was Swiss Amish.

History

Adams County was created by statute on February 7, 1835, and organized March 1, 1836. Its name honors the sixth President of the United States, John Quincy Adams. The site of the county seat was chosen May 18, 1836.

The first non-Native American settlers arrived in what is now Adams County in 1835. They arrived as a result of the end of the Black Hawk War as well as the completion of the Erie Canal. They consisted entirely of settlers from New England. These were "Yankee" settlers, that is to say they were descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the colonial era. They were primarily members of the Congregational Church though due to the Second Great Awakening many of them had converted to Methodism and some had become Baptists before coming to what is now Adams County. The Congregational Church subsequently has gone through many divisions and some factions are now known as the Church of Christ and the United Church of Christ. When the New England settlers arrived in what is now Adams County there was nothing but a dense virgin forest and wild prairie.

The New England settlers commissioned the first courthouse in 1839, it was a two-story frame building. The first jail was a log building that was completed in 1837. The present Adams County courthouse was built in Decatur in 1872–1873 at a cost of $78,979. The designer was J. C. Johnson, who had been trained as a carpenter and joiner and became a self-taught architect; he won second place in the Indiana State Capitol design competition. The construction was done by Christian Boseker of Fort Wayne. It is built of red brick with stone ornamentation.

Geography

Map of Adams County

Adams County superior court, Decatur, Indiana, 2006.

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 339.97 square miles (880.5 km²), of which 339.03 square miles (878.1 km²) (or 99.72%) is land and 0.94 square miles (2.4 km²) (or 0.28%) is water.

Adams County is bordered on the north by Allen County, on the west by Wells County, and on the south by Jay County. The two Ohio counties of Van Wert and Mercer lie to the northeast and southeast, respectively.

The county has four incorporated settlements, all of which lie in a rough north–south line. The city of Decatur is the largest and is also the county seat, and is in the northern part of the county where U.S. Route 27 and U.S. Route 33 intersect with the east–west U.S. Route 224. U.S. Route 27 continues south through the town of Monroe, near the center of the county, and then on through Berne and Geneva.

Unincorporated towns

Townships

Adams County is divided into twelve townships:

Climate and weather

Adams County is in the humid continental climate region of the United States along with most of Indiana. Its Köppen climate classification is Dfa, meaning that it is cold, has no dry season, and has a hot summer. In recent years, average temperatures in Decatur have ranged from a low of 17 °F (−8 °C) in January to a high of 84 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −24 °F (−31 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 107 °F (42 °C) was recorded in July 1934. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.16 inches (55 mm) in February to 4.42 inches (112 mm) in June.

Transportation

Three U.S Routes cross the county. U.S. Route 27 and U.S. Route 33 enter the north end of the county from Fort Wayne in neighboring Allen County. Passing through Decatur, they split; U.S. Route 27 goes south through Monroe, Berne and Geneva and continues into Jay County, whereas U.S. Route 33 heads southeast into Ohio. U.S. Route 224 passes from west to east through the north part of the county, intersecting U.S. Routes 27 and 33 in Decatur, then continuing into Ohio.

Indiana State Road 124 runs east–west through the county, from Bluffton in Wells County through Monroe and on to the Ohio border. Indiana State Road 101 runs south–north, from State Road 124 near the Ohio border, through Pleasant Mills and Rivare, to Allen County. Indiana State Road 116 runs west–east across the county, from Bluffton southeast to Linn Grove, south to Perryville, then east to a terminus at U.S. Route 27 in Geneva. Indiana State Road 218 runs west–east across the southern end of the county, passing through Berne.

CSX Transportation operates a rail line from Decatur, running northwest toward Fort Wayne.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 35,809 people, and 12,481 households in the county. The population density was 101.4 inhabitants per square mile (39.2/km²). There were 13,403 housing units at an average density of 39.5 per square mile (15.3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.8% white, 0.6% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 30.3% were German, 5.6% were Irish, 4.1% were English, and 2.7% were French (not Basque). Additionally, 11.5% of the population has a visible or non-visible disability.

Of the 12,481 households, 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples living together and 24% had a female householder with no spouse present. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.39. The median age was 33.5 years. Of the total population, 77.1% own homes and 8.7% are renters.

Regarding educational attainment, 40.6% of the population has a high school degree or higher, with 15.5% having a bachelor's degree or higher. Manufacturing employees the most employed residents at 31.2%, followed by 17.6% in education, health care and social services, and 10.3% in retail.

The median income for a household in the county was $52,504 and the median income for a family was $65,609. The per capita income for the county was $23,316. About 16.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.5% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Amish community

The Amish (Swiss Amish) community in Adams County, whose antecedents trace to 1840, speak a Bernese dialect in everyday life. They had a total population of 8,595 people in 58 congregations in 2017, or 24.2% of the county's population.

Festivals and Fairs in Adams County

• Adams County 4-H Fair (Monroe)
• Swiss Days (Berne)
• Calithumpian Festival (Decatur)
• Festival of Kekionga (Decatur)

Education

Public schools in Adams County are administered by three public entities: North Adams Community Schools; Adams Central Community Schools; and South Adams Schools. The Diocese of Fort Wayne and Lutheran Schools of Indiana both operate in Adams County as well. In all, these organizations operate 13 schools in the county.

Notable people

• Gene Stratton-Porter (1863 – 1924), author, nature photographer, naturalist, and silent movie-era producer, lived in Decatur and Geneva 1886–1913.
• Chemist Richard R. Schrock, 2005 Nobel Prize winner in organic chemistry, was born in Berne in 1945 and attended school in Decatur.
• Director David Anspaugh (born 1946), who directed the movies Hoosiers and Rudy, was born in Decatur.
• Sculptor David Smith (1906 – 1965) was born in Decatur.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Adams (Indiana) para niños