Garrett, Indiana
Encyclopedia
Garrett is a city in Keyser Township
Keyser Township, DeKalb County, Indiana
Keyser Township is one of fifteen townships in DeKalb County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, its population was 7,090.-Geography:Keyser Township covers an area of ; of this is water.-Cities and towns:* Altona* Auburn * Garrett...

, DeKalb County
DeKalb County, Indiana
DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. Named for Revolutionary War hero Johann, Baron de Kalb , the county was created by the Indiana legislature in 1835 and organized in 1837. As of 2010, the population was 42,223...

, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The population was 6,286 at the 2010 census. Founded in 1875, Garrett was named for John W. Garrett
John W. Garrett
John Work Garrett was an American banker, philanthropist, and president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad ....

 (1820–1884), president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...

 from 1858 to 1884.

Geography

Garrett is located at 41°20′52"N 85°8′1"W (41.347903, -85.133700).

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 5,803 people, 2,185 households, and 1,516 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 1,856.5 people per square mile (715.8/km²). There were 2,364 housing units at an average density of 756.3 per square mile (291.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.47% White, 0.29% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 0.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.

There were 2,185 households out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.7% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $41,747, and the median income for a family was $48,403. Males had a median income of $35,814 versus $22,389 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $17,260. About 4.1% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.0% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The city of Garrett lies in the school district of Garrett-Keyser-Butler Community Schools. Local schools are:
  • J. E. Ober Elementary School
  • Garrett Middle School
  • Garrett High School
  • St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School

Important Buildings

St. Joseph Catholic church, part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend
Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend
The Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend is a Roman Catholic diocese in north-central and northeastern Indiana. The Most Reverend Kevin C. Rhoades was appointed diocesan bishop by Pope Benedict XVI on November 14, 2009, and was installed on January 13, 2010...

, is an Italian-style church and more than a century old. It operates St. Joseph Catholic School in Garrett and previously managed the Sacred Heart Hospital.

The Sacred Heart Apartments, previously the Sacred Heart Hospital, is a historic structure at 220 South Ijams Street constructed in 1902 and renovated in 2003. It had forty-two apartments for senior citizens. In 2010, resedency requirments were changed to allow anyone to live there. It is currently managed by New Generation Management based in Fort Wayne.

The Garrett Community YMCA Community Center at 1200 East Houston Street opened in November 2005 and includes a pool, gym, workout room, childcare, playground and various other facilities. Some of the funds to construct the center were raised by allowing contributors to purchase bricks engraved with their names.

High School and Athletics

Garrett High school has been round since 1922. The high-school teams all play in the Allen-County Athletic Conference while the middle school plays in the Tri-County Athletic Conference. All of the high-school teams are named the Railroaders while the middle school is the Locomotives. Garrett has one state championship in 1974 when the football team won the 1A title. The closest teams since to reach state was the 2003 football team, and the 2003-2004, 2007–2008, and 2008-2009 girls basketball teams. Those teams all lost in semi-state.

Newspaper

The Garrett Clipper, serving the Garrett and area community in southern DeKalb County, Ind., was purchased by KPC Media Group Inc. on Oct. 1, 1999, from Wayne and Pat Bartles. The Clipper of Garrett was formed in 1885 by A.J. Little and H. E. Little and is the oldest operating business in the city. The editor and publisher of The Clipper is Sue Carpenter, who joined KPC in 1974. The newspaper is published by KPC Media Group, with its website at kpcnews.com

Notable Natives & Former Residents

  • Thomas Taggart
    Thomas Taggart
    Thomas Taggart was a U.S. political figure, serving as mayor of Indianapolis and influential in state and national politics.-Early life and family:...

     (1856–1929), Mayor of Indianapolis, Indiana
    Indianapolis, Indiana
    Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

    , 1895–1901, lived in Garrett, 1874–1877, as manager of B&O Railroad
    Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
    The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...

     depot restaurant.
  • Rollie Zeider
    Rollie Zeider
    Rollie Hubert Zeider was a Major League Baseball infielder for the Chicago White Sox , New York Yankees , Chicago Chi-Feds/Chicago Whales in the Federal League from -, and lastly the Chicago Cubs...

     (1883–1967), major league baseball player, 1910–1918, played for Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Chicago Chi-Feds, Chicago Whales and Chicago Cubs. He ran a restaurant in Garrett after he retired from professional baseball.
  • John Bowers
    John Bowers
    John Bowers was an American stage and silent film actor who starred in ninety-four films including short subjects.-Biography:...

      (1885–1936), silent film star, was born and raised in Garrett. He appeared in more than 90 silent films and his career came to a tragic end with the advent of the "talkies." He committed suicide by rowing a boat into the Pacific Ocean and drowning. He was an avid sailor and owned a 30 feet (9.1 m) yacht at one time. He was married to and starred alongside Marguerite De Le Motte. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
    Hollywood Walk of Fame
    The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...

    .
  • Dan Miller - television host, graduated from Garrett High School; former host of several programs on The Nashville Network
    The Nashville Network
    The Nashville Network, usually referred to as TNN, was an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming included music videos, taped concerts, movies, syndicated programs, and numerous talk shows...

    . Currently hosts Xtreme Bulls on ESPN
    ESPN
    Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....

    , and Best of the West on The Outdoor Channel
    The Outdoor Channel
    Outdoor Channel is an American speciality channel focused on the outdoors, offering programming that includes hunting, fishing, Western lifestyle, off-road motorsports and adventure. The network can be viewed on multiple platforms including high definition, video-on-demand, as well as on a . ...

    ; Now hosting his fifth season of Dan Miller's Cowboy Music Revue at the historic Cody Theater, in Cody, Wyoming
    Cody, Wyoming
    Cody is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. It is named after William Frederick Cody, primarily known as Buffalo Bill, from William Cody's part in the creation of the original town. The population was 9,520 at the 2010 census...

    .
  • Garry Lalone - musician, Garrett High School graduate; drummer for country music
    Country music
    Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

     and Grand Ole Opry
    Grand Ole Opry
    The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...

     star John Conlee
    John Conlee
    John Conlee is an American country music singer. Between 1978 and 2004, Conlee charted a total of thirty-two singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts and recorded eleven studio albums...

    .

External links

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