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Loogootee, Indiana
Looking down West Main Street from U.S. 231
Looking down West Main Street from U.S. 231
Location of Loogootee in Martin County, Indiana.
Location of Loogootee in Martin County, Indiana.
Country United States
State Indiana
County Martin
Township Perry
Area
 • Total 1.57 sq mi (4.06 km2)
 • Land 1.56 sq mi (4.05 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)  0%
Elevation
538 ft (164 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 2,601
 • Density 1,661.98/sq mi (641.74/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
47553
Area code(s) 812, 930
FIPS code 18-44910
GNIS feature ID 438296

Loogootee is a city in Perry Township, Martin County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 2,751 at the time of the 2010 census.

Pronunciation and etymology

Hoosiers from the area pronounce the name of the town. Several etymologies of the place name have been proposed. One would make it an Anglicization of the French name Le Gaultier. [1] Another would make it a compound word honoring Thomas Lowe, engineer of the first train through the town; and Thomas Nesbe Gootee (1797-1870), owner of the land where the town was built. [2] However, the latter origin does not explain the presence of an identically named unincorporated village in Lone Grove Township, Fayette County, Illinois. Since Loogootee, Illinois is due west of Loogootee, Indiana, there is a possibility that pioneers named their town in Illinois after the town they came from in Indiana.

History

Loogootee was established in 1853 when it was certain that a new railroad line would be extended to that point.

Climate and Geography

Geography

Loogootee is located at 38°40′35″N 86°54′53″W / 38.676518°N 86.914794°W / 38.676518; -86.914794.

According to the 2010 census, Loogootee has a total area of 1.574 square miles (4.08 km2), of which 1.57 square miles (4.07 km2) (or 99.75%) is land and 0.004 square miles (0.01 km2) (or 0.25%) is water.

The city is located in the 8th District of Indiana (map) and served by U.S. Representative Larry Bucshon.

Loogootee, Indiana
Photo from Small Town Indiana photo survey.

Climate

Loogootee has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa. Summers are hot and humid, winters are cool to cold. Average temperatures range from 19 degrees Fahrenheit to 68 °F (20 °C). On average, the warmest month is July. The highest recorded temperature was 104 °F (40 °C) in 1954. The average coolest month is January. The lowest recorded temperature was −23 °F (−31 °C) in 1994. The maximum average precipitation occurs in May.

Climate data for Loogootee, Indiana
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 72
(22)
77
(25)
83
(28)
90
(32)
98
(37)
102
(39)
104
(40)
100
(38)
103
(39)
92
(33)
83
(28)
77
(25)
104
(40)
Average high °F (°C) 37
(3)
43
(6)
54
(12)
65
(18)
75
(24)
83
(28)
86
(30)
85
(29)
79
(26)
68
(20)
54
(12)
42
(6)
64
(18)
Average low °F (°C) 19
(−7)
22
(−6)
31
(−1)
40
(4)
50
(10)
59
(15)
64
(18)
62
(17)
54
(12)
42
(6)
34
(1)
24
(−4)
42
(5)
Record low °F (°C) −23
(−31)
−18
(−28)
−9
(−23)
14
(−10)
27
(−3)
37
(3)
46
(8)
42
(6)
32
(0)
16
(−9)
0
(−18)
−20
(−29)
−23
(−31)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.16
(80)
2.92
(74)
4.27
(108)
4.49
(114)
5.60
(142)
4.24
(108)
4.74
(120)
3.78
(96)
3.36
(85)
3.13
(80)
4.47
(114)
3.53
(90)
47.69
(1,211)
Source: The Weather Channel.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1870 748
1880 885 18.3%
1890 988 11.6%
1900 1,382 39.9%
1910 2,154 55.9%
1920 2,385 10.7%
1930 2,203 −7.6%
1940 2,325 5.5%
1950 2,424 4.3%
1960 2,858 17.9%
1970 2,953 3.3%
1980 3,100 5.0%
1990 2,884 −7.0%
2000 2,741 −5.0%
2010 2,751 0.4%
2020 2,601 −5.5%
U.S. Decennial Census

2017 census

As of the census of 2017, there were 2,714 people, 1,206 households, and 709 families living in the city. The population density was 1,752.2 inhabitants per square mile (676.5/km2). There were 1,324 housing units at an average density of 843.3 per square mile (325.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city is 98% White, .8% Hispanic, .6% Two or More Races, .3% Asian, .2% American Indian, .1% Black.

There were 1,206 households, of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.2% were non-families. 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.95.

The median age in the city was 40.4 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.4% were from 25 to 44; 28.1% were from 45 to 64; and 17.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.

Transportation

Loogootee is the point of intersection of two major US highways, U.S. Route 231 and U.S. Route 50

US Highways

  • US 231.svg U.S. Route 231
  • US 50.svg U.S. Route 50
  • US 150.svg U.S. Route 150

Economy

A large number of the residents of Loogootee are employed with the federal government and government contractors at Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division.

Education and sports

Loogootee, Indiana
Downtown Loogootee

Loogootee has three schools in its district: Loogootee Elementary (PreK-4), Loogootee Middle School (5-8), and Loogootee High School (9-12). The mascot is a lion. The school colors are black and old gold. The school song is "Washington and Lee Swing". Loogootee has a long-standing, proud tradition of high school basketball. It is the home of the winningest high school basketball coach in state history, Jack Butcher, who had a career record of 806-250 (all at Loogootee High School). Butcher led Loogootee basketball to two state finals appearances under the single-class state tournament (1970 & 1975). Loogootee's latest boys' basketball sectional title was in 2012, which began a run that ended with Loogootee High School's first state championship in any sport. Loogootee boasts rivalries with area schools, North Daviess and Barr-Reeve. The Lions own the all-time series against both schools, and the rivalry with Barr-Reeve has recently been considered the state's best high school rivalry by several media outlets. The boys' basketball program has had an impressive winning record for many years. In the past fifty years, only three seasons have finished with below .500 records. Loogootee's boys' tennis program has also gained notoriety after winning twelve straight sectional titles under the guidance of Coach Rick Graves. Additionally, the girls' tennis program won seven consecutive sectional titles from 2004-2010 under coach Mike Tippery. The volleyball team was state runner-up for three consecutive years (2005–2007)and also in 2012.

School Type Enrollment Mascot Colors IHSAA Class Athletic Conference
Loogootee High School Public 314 Lions                A Blue Chip Conference

The town has a lending library, the Loogootee Public Library. The library is part of the Evergreen Indiana Library Consortium and the eIndiana Digital Consortium, which allow members to obtain books and eBooks from any member library.

Notable people

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Loogootee (Indiana) para niños

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