Country United States Named for James Lawrence Population 45,844 (2013) County seat Bedford | Founded 1818 Area 1,170 km² Unemployment rate 6.2% (Apr 2015) | |
 | ||
Largest city Bedford (population and area) Incorporated
Municipalities Three Cities and Towns
Bedford (city)
Mitchell (city)
Oolitic (town) Area rank 20th largest county in Indiana Cities Bedford, Mitchell, Oolitic, Shawswick Township Rivers Lost River, East Fork White River, Salt Creek Points of interest Spring Mill State Park, Bluespring Caverns, Twin caves, Shawnee Cave, Virgil I Gus Grissom Memorial | ||
Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 46,134. The county seat is Bedford.
Contents
- Map of Lawrence County IN USA
- History
- Geography
- Adjacent counties
- Major highways
- National protected area
- Census designated places
- Extinct town
- Local sights
- Astronauts
- Climate and weather
- Government
- Demographics
- References
Map of Lawrence County, IN, USA
History
Lawrence County was formed in 1818 from land given by Orange County. It was named for Capt. James Lawrence, who uttered the famous words "Don't give up the ship." after being mortally wounded during the War of 1812. Until the Battle of Tippecanoe, there was a lack in population of white men, due to the fact that Native Americans still lived in the area. The first trace of settlement in Lawrence County was near Leesville, however, Bono was the first settlement in the county.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 451.93 square miles (1,170.5 km2), of which 449.17 square miles (1,163.3 km2) (or 99.39%) is land and 2.76 square miles (7.1 km2) (or 0.61%) is water.
Adjacent counties
Major highways
National protected area
Census-designated places
Extinct town
Local sights
Astronauts
Lawrence County has had several native residents that have become astronauts over the years. They include:
The Virgil I. Gus Grissom Memorial, located at the Spring Mill State Park near Mitchell, has many mementos of his career, including the space capsule he commanded, "The Molly Brown" from Gemini 3, and the space suit worn during his Mercury Liberty Bell 7 mission.
Climate and weather
In recent years, average temperatures in Bedford 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 −29 °F (−34 °C) was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 111 °F (44 °C) was recorded in July 1930. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.70 inches (69 mm) in February to 5.04 inches (128 mm) in May.
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.
Lawrence County is part of Indiana's 9th congressional district; Indiana Senate district 44; and Indiana House of Representatives districts 65 and 73.
Demographics
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 46,134 people, 18,811 households, and 12,906 families residing in the county. The population density was 102.7 inhabitants per square mile (39.7/km2). There were 21,074 housing units at an average density of 46.9 per square mile (18.1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.3% white, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% black or African American, 0.3% American Indian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 18.4% were German, 14.6% were Irish, 13.1% were American, and 10.4% were English.
Of the 18,811 households, 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.4% were non-families, and 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age was 41.6 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $50,355. Males had a median income of $42,337 versus $30,386 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,352. About 10.9% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.4% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.