Delaware County, Indiana

History

Delaware County was formed in 1827. It was named for the Delaware, a Native American people who then still inhabited the area. The Delaware were moved to new lands west of the Mississippi River in the 1840s. The county was once home to The Prophet, a brother of Tecumseh who instigated a major Indian uprising in 1811. David Conner was the first white settler, arriving in the early 1810s.

Following the American Civil War the county experienced an economic boom caused by the discovery of natural gas, which spurred rapid industrial growth in the surrounding area.

The first discovery of natural gas in Indiana occurred in 1876 in the town of Eaton. A company was drilling in search of coal, and when they had reaching a depth of six-hundred feet, there was a loud noise and foul smelling fumes began coming from the well. After a brief investigation, it was decided they had breached the ceiling of Hell, and the hole was quickly filled in. In 1884, when natural gas was discovered in nearby Ohio, people recalled the incident. They returned to the spot and opened Indiana's first natural gas well. The gas was so abundant and strong that when the well was lit, the flames could be seen from Muncie.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 395.91 square miles (1,025.4 km²), of which 392.12 square miles (1,015.6 km²) (or 99.04%) is land and 3.78 square miles (9.8 km²) (or 0.95%) is water. The county is drained by White and Mississinewa rivers. The surface is level, and the soil fertile.

Cities and towns

Townships

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in Muncie have ranged from a low of 16 °F (−9 °C) in January to a high of 85 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −29 °F (−34 °C) was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 102 °F (39 °C) was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.06 inches (52 mm) in January to 4.28 inches (109 mm) in June.

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.

Delaware County is part of Indiana's 6th congressional district; Indiana Senate district 26; and Indiana House of Representatives districts 33, 34 and 35.

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 117,671 people, 46,516 households, and 27,956 families residing in the county. The population density was 300.1 inhabitants per square mile (115.9/km²). There were 52,357 housing units at an average density of 133.5 per square mile (51.5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.1% white, 6.9% black or African American, 1.0% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.6% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 23.0% were German, 14.2% were Irish, 10.6% were American, and 10.3% were English.

Of the 46,516 households, 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 39.9% were non-families, and 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age was 34.8 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $51,394. Males had a median income of $42,346 versus $31,051 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,405. About 12.3% of families and 20.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.1% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.