Putnam County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 37,963. The county seat is Greencastle. The name is in honor of Israel Putnam, who was a hero in the French and Indian War and a general in the American Revolutionary War. The county was formed on April 1, 1822 from Owen and Vigo Counties and parts of the Wabash New Purchase attached to Monroe and Parke Counties.
Putnam County is included in the Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Video Putnam County, Indiana
Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 482.69 square miles (1,250.2 km2), of which 480.53 square miles (1,244.6 km2) (or 99.55%) is land and 2.16 square miles (5.6 km2) (or 0.45%) is water.
Cities
- Greencastle
Towns
- Bainbridge
- Cloverdale
- Fillmore
- Roachdale
- Russellville
Census-designated places
- Heritage Lake
- Van Bibber Lake
Other unincorporated places
Townships
Adjacent counties
- Montgomery County (north)
- Hendricks County (east)
- Morgan County (southeast)
- Owen County (south)
- Clay County (southwest)
- Parke County (west)
Major highways
Maps Putnam County, Indiana
Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Greencastle have ranged from a low of 18 °F (-8 °C) in January to a high of 86 °F (30 °C) in July, although a record low of -23 °F (-31 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 107 °F (42 °C) was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.40 inches (61 mm) in January to 5.14 inches (131 mm) in July.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 37,963 people, 12,917 households, and 9,256 families residing in the county. The population density was 79.0 inhabitants per square mile (30.5/km2). There were 14,706 housing units at an average density of 30.6 per square mile (11.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.4% white, 4.0% black or African American, 0.7% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 23.6% were German, 15.3% were American, 12.7% were Irish, and 12.6% were English.
Of the 12,917 households, 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.3% were non-families, and 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age was 37.9 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $59,354. Males had a median income of $44,615 versus $29,211 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,441. About 7.7% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.
Covered Bridges
The Dick Huffman or Webster CB is the furthest south, just off I-70. This route is not at an interstate exit.
Houck CB is out in the country, south of Greencastle. Oakala CB is just a short distance away from Houk CB.
According to the Encyclopedia of Haunted Indiana, the Edna Collins CB is considered to be haunted.
The Dunbar CB is nearest to Greencastle, which can be accessed via US 231 north, under the concrete railroad viaduct.
The Baker's Camp CB is east of Bainbridge on the old US 36.
The Rolling Stone CB which is the next parallel north of US 36. A third covered bridge is one parallel north of the Rolling Stone. This and Pine Bluff CB are on gravel roads.
The Cornstalk CB is the furthest north. It's east of the town of Raccoon, which is just off US 231. It is on a secondary road out of town to the south.
Athletics
Putnam County, Indiana offers many athletics. In Putnam County Indiana Smoke Softball and Baseball, the Putnam County Swim Team (PSCT-IN). Others include athletics at the Big Walnut Sports Park. Indiana Smoke has its HQ in Coatesville. The PCST is HQ in Greencastle and the Big Walnuts Sports Park is in Greencastle on the border with Fillmore.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Putnam County, Indiana
References
Further reading
- Etcheson, Nicole. A Generation at War: The Civil War Era in a Northern Community (2011); scholarly study focused on Putnam County
Source of article : Wikipedia
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