Bremen, Indiana

History

Bremen was platted and laid out in 1851. A large portion of the early settlers being natives of Germany caused the name Bremen to be selected.

The Bremen Water Tower and Dietrich-Bowen House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Bremen is located in northeastern Marshall County at . It is at an elevation of 854 ft.

U.S. Route 6 passes through the north side of the town on a bypass; it leads east 8 mi to Nappanee and west 18 mi to Walkerton. Indiana State Road 331 passes through the center of Bremen on North Bowen Avenue and Plymouth Street; it leads north 15 mi to Mishawaka and south 12 mi to Bourbon. State Road 106 passes east to west through the center of Bremen on Plymouth Street and Douglas Road. Plymouth, the Marshall county seat, is 15 mi to the southwest.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Bremen has a total area of 2.84 sqmi, of which 0.004 sqmi, or 0.14%, are water. The Yellow River, here near its headwaters, passes along the western edge of the town, flowing south and west toward the Kankakee River, part of the Illinois River watershed.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 4,588 people, 1,736 households, and 1,155 families living in the town. The population density was 1686.8 PD/sqmi. There were 1,922 housing units at an average density of 706.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 86.5% White, 0.4% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 11.1% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 18.0% of the population.

There were 1,736 households, of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.5% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.20.

The median age in the town was 36.6 years. 27.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25% were from 25 to 44; 23.2% were from 45 to 64; and 16% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 4,486 people, 1,689 households, and 1,177 families living in the town. The population density was 1,967.8 PD/sqmi. There were 1,791 housing units at an average density of 785.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 91.42% White, 0.16% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 6.53% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.02% of the population.

There were 1,689 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.3% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $40,185, and the median income for a family was $47,768. Males had a median income of $32,443 versus $21,902 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,073. About 4.2% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.4% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Bremen supports light and heavy industry in the form of fiberglass and custom cabinet manufacturing, RV and van painting, and roller bearing manufacture. Much of its industry supports the large RV manufacturing in the area, especially in nearby Nappanee and Elkhart.

Education

The town has a lending library, the Bremen Public Library.

Notable people

• Otis Bowen, MD, Indiana 44th governor (1973–1981) and Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Ronald Reagan (1985–1989).
• Erin Coffel, professional softball player
• Brad Stine, conservative Christian comedian and actor
• Christina Stembel, CEO of Farmgirl flowers

References

References

1. "Welcome to the Mint City". Town of Bremen.
2. "2022 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Indiana". United States Census Bureau.
3. "P1. Race – Bremen town, Indiana: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau.
4. "Feature ID 431479". [[United States Geological Survey]].
5. (February 23, 2006). "FIPS55 Data: Indiana". [[United States Geological Survey]].
6. McDonald, Daniel. (1908). "A Twentieth Century History of Marshall County, Indiana, Volume 1". Lewis Publishing Company.
7. {{NRISref
8. (January 18, 2013). "National Register of Historic Places Listings". National Park Service.
9. (February 12, 2011). "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". [[United States Census Bureau]].
10. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov.
11. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
12. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
13. "Indiana public library directory". Indiana State Library.
14. Shacknai, Gabby. "How Founder Christina Stembel Turned Farmgirl Flowers Into A $60 Million Empire, Against All Odds".