LaPorte County, Indiana

|access-date=October 14, 2014 (population and total area) municipalities 46352, 46360-61, 46365, 46371, 46382, 46390-91, 46532, 46552, 46554, 46574

Michigan City Municipal

Kankakee River Lake Michigan Little Calumet River Trail Creek

LaPorte County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 112,417. The county seat is the city of La Porte, and the largest city is Michigan City. This county is part of the Northwest Indiana and Michiana regions of the Chicago metropolitan area. The LaPorte County Courthouse is located in the county seat of La Porte and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History

LaPorte County was formed in 1832. La porte means "the door" or "the port" in French. French travelers or explorers so named the area after discovering a natural opening in the dense forests that used to exist in this region, providing a gateway to lands further west.

From 1832 to 1835 LaPorte County had its boundaries and jurisdiction of the land west of it going all the way to the east border of Chicago in Cook County, IL (land which is now Porter and Lake Counties).

Before European-American settlement, all of the land that forms modern-day LaPorte County, and adjacent Starke County to the south belonged to the Potawatomi Indian nation. These Indians were forcibly removed to Kansas by the United States government in 1838, and many died on what survivors called the Trail of Death.

LaPorte County's initial European-American settlers were Yankee migrants, that is to say they were from New England or were from upstate New York and had parents who were from New England, and were descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the colonial era. They were part of a wave of New England settlers moving west into what was then the Northwest Territory after the completion of the Erie Canal through the Mohawk Valley of New York State.

These first settlers in LaPorte County specifically hailed from the Massachusetts towns of Granville, Boston, Bridgewater, West Bridgewater, Andover, Nantucket Island, and Hampshire County; the Connecticut towns of Colchester, Wethersfield, Granby, and New Haven; the New Hampshire towns of Bradford, Amherst and Goffstown; the Vermont villages of Dorset, Albany and Fairfax; many also came from Orange County, Vermont, Caledonia County, Vermont and Penobscot County, Maine. They were mainly members of the Congregational Church. As result of the Second Great Awakening, many became Baptists and many also converted to Pentecostalism and Methodism. When they arrived in what is now LaPorte County, there was nothing but virgin forest and prairie. The New England settlers cleared roads and brush, developed farms, constructed churches, erected government buildings, and established post routes. As a result of this migration, La Porte County was partially culturally continuous with early New England culture for many years.

But by 1850, the three Eastern states that had contributed the most residents to LaPorte County were New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, surpassing those migrants from New England. LaPorte County had the largest number of Southerners north of the Wabash Valley.Lang, Elfrieda. “Southern Migration to Northern Indiana Before 1850.” Indiana Magazine of History, Volume 50, Issue 4, pp 349-356. 1954. Lang, Elfrieda. “An Analysis of Northern Indiana’s Population in 1850.” Indiana Magazine of History, Volume 49, Issue 1, March 1953. Rose, Gregory C.” Upland Southerners: The County Origins of Southern Migrants.” Indiana Magazine of History, Volume 82, Issue 3, September 1991.

During the Civil War, the Louisville Journal noted that the 29th Indiana Regiment (mustered out of LaPorte) "may almost be regarded as a Kentucky regiment for a large majority of its members are either natives or descendants of native Kentuckians". Three Union Camps reigned in LaPorte County helping the Union to Civil War victory.

When the county was initially proposed and organized, its boundaries did not extend as far south or east as they do today. A section of land north of the Kankakee River originally belonged to Starke County. However, residents living in that area had difficulty crossing the Grand Kankakee Marsh that surrounded the river in order to reach the rest of the county. It was necessary to travel some distance east to Lemon's bridge, before making the journey south. Effectively isolated from the rest of Starke County, these residents asked that their land be annexed to LaPorte County, which was completed on January 28, 1842. Thereafter, the Kankakee River formed the southern boundary of the county. Finally, on January 10, 1850, some twenty sections of land were annexed from St. Joseph County to the east, giving LaPorte County the boundaries that essentially exist to this day.

Whether the correct spelling of the city and county is "La Porte" or "LaPorte" is disputed, although state law refers to "LaPorte County."

LaPorte County is noted for being the last-known place of the Belle Gunness serial murders. Bodies of her victims were discovered after her house burned and she disappeared in 1908. Gunness lived on a farm on the outskirts of the county seat.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 613.26 sqmi, of which 598.30 sqmi (or 97.56%) is land and 14.96 sqmi (or 2.44%) is water. The highest point, at 957 ft, is in southwestern Galena Township near County Roads East 600 North and North 150 East. The lowest point, at 581 ft, is along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Adjacent counties

• Berrien County, Michigan (North/Eastern Time Zone Border)
• St. Joseph County (East/Eastern Time Zone Border)
• Starke County (South)
• Jasper County (Southwest)
• Porter County (West)
• Cook County, Illinois(Northwest) Boundary in Lake Michigan

National protected area

• Indiana Dunes National Park – also in Lake and Porter counties

Major highways

• [[File:US 6.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 6
• [[File:US 12.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 12
• [[File:US 20.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 20
• [[File:US 30.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 30
• [[File:US 35.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 35
• [[File:US 421.svg|20px]] U.S. Route 421
• [[File:Indiana 2.svg|20px]] State Road 2
• [[File:Indiana 4.svg|20px]] State Road 4
• [[File:Indiana 8.svg|20px]] State Road 8
• [[File:Indiana 39.svg|20px]] State Road 39
• [[File:Indiana 104.svg|20px]] State Road 104
• [[File:Indiana 212.svg|20px]] State Road 212

Railroads

• Canadian National Railway
• Chesapeake and Indiana Railroad
• Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad
• Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad
• CSX Transportation
• Norfolk Southern Railway
• South Shore Line (commuter rail)

Municipalities

The municipalities in LaPorte County and their populations as of the 2010 Census:

Cities

• La Porte – 22,471
• Michigan City – 32,075

Towns

• Kingsbury – 242
• Kingsford Heights – 1,435
• LaCrosse – 551
• Long Beach – 1,179
• Michiana Shores – 313
• Pottawattamie Park – 235
• Trail Creek – 2,052
• Wanatah – 1,048
• Westville – 5,853

Census-designated places

• Fish Lake – 1,016
• Hanna – 463
• Hudson Lake – 1,297
• Rolling Prairie – 582

Unincorporated communities

• Alida
• Byron
• Door Village
• Duneland Beach
• Hesston
• Holmesville
• Lake Park
• Mill Creek
• Otis
• Pinhook
• Pinola
• Plainfield
• Riverside
• Salem Heights
• Smith
• South Center
• South Wanatah
• Springfield
• Springville
• Stillwell
• Thomaston
• Tracy
• Union Mills
• Waterford
• Wellsboro
• Wilders

Townships

LaPorte County contains 21 townships, more than any other county in the state. The townships, with their populations as of the 2010 Census, are:

• Cass – 1,833
• Center – 25,075
• Clinton – 1,507
• Coolspring – 14,718
• Dewey – 935
• Galena – 1,899
• Hanna – 965
• Hudson – 1,883
• Johnson – 198
• Kankakee – 4,830
• Lincoln – 1,794
• Michigan – 27,522
• New Durham – 8,664
• Noble – 1,625
• Pleasant – 3,380
• Prairie – 209
• Scipio – 4,570
• Springfield – 4,045
• Union – 2,348
• Washington – 1,357
• Wills – 2,110

Unincorporated towns

• Lakeland

Demographics

| align-fn = center 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010{{cite web|url = http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/18/18091.html|title = La Porte County QuickFacts|access-date= September 25, 2011|publisher= United States Census Bureau|url-status = dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110607083528/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/18/18091.html |archive-date = June 7, 2011}}

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 112,417. The median age was 41.4 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 106.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 107.5 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 78.4% White, 10.8% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% Asian,

63.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 36.5% lived in rural areas.

There were 43,799 households in the county, of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 44.6% were married-couple households, 19.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 49,780 housing units, of which 12.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 71.4% were owner-occupied and 28.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.0%.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 111,467 people, 42,331 households, and 28,228 families residing in the county. The population density was 186.3 PD/sqmi. There were 48,448 housing units at an average density of 81.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 84.1% white, 10.8% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 2.0% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 30.7% were German, 15.3% were Irish, 11.5% were Polish, 8.3% were English, and 5.9% were American.

Of the 42,331 households, 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.3% were non-families, and 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age was 39.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $56,679. Males had a median income of $45,537 versus $30,774 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,599. About 9.9% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.7% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

K-12 schools

School districts include:

• John Glenn School Corporation
• La Porte Community School Corporation
• Michigan City Area Schools
• New Durham Township Metropolitan School District
• New Prairie United School Corporation
• South Central Community School Corporation
• Tri-Township Consolidated School Corporation

Public libraries

The county is served by five different public library systems:

• LaCrosse Public Library
• LaPorte County Public Library has its main location in La Porte as well as the Coolspring, Fish Lake, Hanna, Kingsford Heights, Rolling Prairie and Union Mills branches.
• Michigan City Public Library
• Wanatah Public Library
• Westville-New Durham Township Public Library has its main location in Westville.

Hospitals

• Northwest Health - La Porte, La Porte – 84 beds
• Franciscan Health Michigan City, Michigan City – 310 beds{{cite web | access-date = September 11, 2016 | archive-date = September 20, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160920214419/https://www.franciscanhealth.org/news-and-events/news/franciscan-health-new-name-leading-hospital-system | url-status = dead

Climate and weather

|La Porte, Indiana |12|30|1.84 |16|36|1.68 |27|47|2.96 |37|60|4.11 |47|71|4.33 |58|80|4.79 |62|84|3.87 |60|81|3.87 |51|75|3.33 |39|63|2.98 |30|48|3.57 |19|35|2.71 |access-date=January 27, 2011 In recent years, average temperatures in La Porte have ranged from a low of 12 °F in January to a high of 84 °F in July, although a record low of -28 °F was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of 104 °F was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.68 in in February to 4.79 in in June.

Education

Public schools in LaPorte County are administered by seven different districts:

• John Glenn School Corporation
• LaPorte Community School Corporation
• Metropolitan School District of New Durham Township
• Michigan City Area Schools
• New Prairie United School Corporation
• South Central Community School Corporation
• Tri-Township Consolidated School Corporation

Colleges and Universities

• Ivy Tech Community College
• Purdue University Northwest{{cite news | access-date = March 5, 2016}}

Politics

From 1992 to 2012, LaPorte County had been reliably Democratic although John Kerry came within 198 votes of losing the county in 2004. But in recent years it has been increasingly Republican with Donald Trump winning the county in all 3 of his presidential runs.

LaPorte County is split between Indiana's 1st and Indiana's 2nd congressional district and is represented by Rudy Yakym and Frank Mrvan in the United States Congress. It is also part of Indiana Senate districts 5 and 8{{cite web |access-date=July 14, 2011 |access-date=July 14, 2011

County elected officials:

[[County commission|Board of Commissioners]]

Source:

• Steve Holifield (R, 2nd)
• Connie Gramarossa (R, 1st)
• Joe Haney (R, 3rd)

[[Council|County Council]]

Source:

• Adam Koronka (R)
• Justin Kiel(R)
• Jimmy Pressel III (R)
• Randall Novak (D)
• Brett Kessler (R)
• Mike Mollenhauer (D)
• Mark Yagelski (D)

Elected Officials:

• Assessor: Michael R. Schultz (D)
• Auditor: Michael Rosenbaum (R)
• Clerk: Heather Stevens (R)
• Coroner: Lynn Swanson (R)
• Prosecutor: Sean Fagen (R)
• Recorder: Elzbieta Bilderback (R)
• Sheriff: Ronald C. Heeg (R)
• Surveyor: John Matwyshyn (R)
• Treasurer: Dan Barenie (R)

Notes

References

References

1. {{Cite GNIS. 450507. LaPorte County
2. (2013). "Springville Quadrangle – Indiana – LaPorte Co.". [[United States Geological Survey]].
3. (2013). "Michigan City West Quadrangle – Indiana – LaPorte Co.". [[United States Geological Survey]].
4. LaPorte County Information Technology. "LaPorte County Online Government". laportecounty.org.
5. "La Porte County, Indiana". [[United States Census Bureau]].
6. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
7. Calumet Beginnings: Schoon, Kenneth J. (2003)
8. De Witt Clinton Goodrich & Charles Richard Tuttle. (1875). "An Illustrated History of the State of Indiana". R. S. Peale & co..
9. "La Porte County Historical Society".
10. "History of 1838 Trail of Death". potawatomi-tda.org.
11. ''The Expansion of New England: The Spread of New England Settlement and Institutions to the Mississippi River, 1620-1865'', by Lois Kimball Matthews, pp. 201-202
12. ''La Porte Herald,'' October 19, 1861, p. 2
13. Stephens, Dave. (January 22, 2012). "La(?)Porte's Space Odyssey". [[South Bend Tribune]].
14. [http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title33/ar33/ch46.pdf Indiana Code 33-33-46].
15. [http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title3/ar3/ch5.html Indiana Code 3-3-5].
16. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". [[United States Census Bureau]].
17. Daniels, E. D.. (1904). "A twentieth century history and biographical record of La Porte County, Indiana". Lewis Publishing Co..
18. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau.
19. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
20. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
21. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
22. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
23. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – LaPorte County, Indiana".
24. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – LaPorte County, Indiana".
25. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – LaPorte County, Indiana".
26. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
27. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
28. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
29. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". [[United States Census Bureau]].
30. "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". [[United States Census Bureau]].
31. "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". [[United States Census Bureau]].
32. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: LaPorte County, IN". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
33. "LaCrosse Public Library".
34. "LaPorte County Public Library".
35. "Michigan City Public Library".
36. "Wanatah Public Library".
37. "Westville-New Durham Township Public Library".
38. "Northwest Health – La Porte".
39. "John Glenn School Corporation".
40. "LaPorte Community School Corporation".
41. "Metropolitan School District of New Durham Township".
42. "Michigan City Area Schools".
43. "New Prairie United School Corporation".
44. "South Central Community School Corporation".
45. "Tri-Township Consolidated School Corporation".
46. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
47. LaPorte County Information Technology. "Board of Commissioners". laportecounty.org.
48. LaPorte County Information Technology. "LaPorte County Council". laportecounty.org.
49. Kasarda, Bob. "Democrat John Lake wins race for LaPorte County prosecutor".