Santa Claus, Indiana
Encyclopedia
Santa Claus is a town in Carter
, Clay
and Harrison
townships, Spencer County
in the southwestern part of the U.S. state
of Indiana
, between Interstate 64
and the Ohio River. The population was 2,041 at the 2000 census.
Santa Claus was established in 1854. In 1856, when the town (then known as Santa Fe, mispronounced "fee") was working to establish a Post Office, the US Postal Service refused their first application as there was already another Santa Fe
in the state. Several town meetings were held, during which the name Santa Claus was selected.
The town has the world's only post office to bear the name of Santa Claus
. Because of this popular name, the post office receives thousands of letters to Santa from all over the world each year. A group of volunteers known as "Santa's Elves" ensures each child receives a reply from Santa Claus; this tradition has been around since at least 1914. Every year, the Post Office also creates a special Christmas hand-cancellation pictorial postmark for use during the month of December, which attracts mail from all over the world. The pictorial postmark is chosen each year from submissions from art students at the local high school, Heritage Hills H.S.
Santa Claus has grown substantially since the 1990 census, which recorded just 927 residents. A majority of Santa Claus residents live within the gated community of Christmas Lake Village, which was first established in the late 1960s by Bill Koch
. It consists of 2500 acres (10.1 km²) developed around three lakes: Christmas Lake, Lake Holly, and Lake Noel. The street names in Christmas Lake Village are all themed and named after the Christmas season. Many residents also live in Holiday Village, a subdivision on the north side of town.
Santa Claus is the home to numerous themed attractions including: Santa's Candy Castle
, Santa Claus Museum, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
, Frosty's Fun Center, Christmas Lake Golf Course, and Santa's Stables. It is also home to Santa's Lodge and Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort.
On June 25, 1895, the Post Office name was changed to the one word "Santaclaus," but the name was changed back to Santa Claus on February 17, 1928. It was then that the Post Office Department decided there would never be another Santa Claus Post Office in the United States, due to the influx of holiday mail and the staffing and logistical problems this caused.
The town's unique name went largely unnoticed until the late 1920s, when Postmaster James Martin began promoting the Santa Claus postmark. The growing volume of holiday mail became so substantial that it caught the attention of Robert Ripley in 1929, who featured the town's post office in his nationally-syndicated “Believe It or Not” cartoon.
The town's new national fame had caught the attention of Vincennes
entrepreneur Milton Harris. Harris created Santa's Candy Castle
, the first tourist attraction in Santa Claus, Indiana, which is also purported to be the first themed attraction in the United States. Santa Claus Town attractions included a red-brick Candy Castle, sponsored by Curtiss Candy and dedicated December 22, 1935, and the Toy Village, a series of miniature fairytale buildings sponsored by prominent national toy manufacturers. Santa Claus Town led to the creation of the town's first newspaper, The Santa Claus Town News, and the Santa Claus Chamber of Commerce.
Harris' project caught the attention of a rival entrepreneur, Carl Barrett, the Chicago head of the Illinois Auto Club. Disliking what he called Harris' materialism, Barrett planned his own tourist attraction "Santa Claus Park." On December 25, 1935, Barrett dedicated a 22 feet (6.7 m) tall statue of Santa Claus that was erected on the highest hill in town. The statue was promoted as being solid granite, although it was subsequently revealed to be concrete when cracks formed years later.
Years of lawsuits between Harris and Barrett were costly distractions for the two entrepreneurs. The lawsuits centered around land ownership and went all the way to the Indiana Supreme Court. National news media covered the ongoing story of "Too Many Santas." Over the years, both entrepreneurs' visions became vacant and neglected.
On August 3, 1946, retired industrialist Louis J. Koch opened Santa Claus Land, which is claimed to be the first theme park in the world. The park's name was changed to Holiday World
in 1984. In 1993, a water park named Splashin' Safari was added, hence the name Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
. The park, still owned and operated by the Koch family, attracts more than one million visitors annually, and it is home to The Voyage, repeatedly voted the #1 Wooden Roller Coaster in the World by coaster enthusiasts.
More recently the development of Christmas Lake Village as a gated community has more than doubled the population of Santa Claus. In 2005, a local development company purchased Santa's Candy Castle
and other buildings that comprised Santa Claus Town and announced plans to restore and re-open them to the public. Santa's Candy Castle was the first building of the original Santa Claus Town to be re-opened to the public, when its doors opened on July 1, 2006. Plans exist to re-open the remainder of the original attraction in the future.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 5.6 square miles (14.5 km²), of which, 5.2 square miles (13.5 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (6.82%) is water.
of 2000, there were 2,041 people, 732 households, and 620 families residing in the town. The population density
was 393.8 people per square mile (152.1/km²). There were 818 housing units at an average density of 157.8 per square mile (61.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.22% White, 0.44% Asian, 0.20% from other races
, and 0.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.69% of the population.
There were 732 households out of which 39.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 79.0% were married couples
living together, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.2% were non-families. 12.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the town the population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $60,388, and the median income for a family was $61,991. Males had a median income of $44,514 versus $24,050 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $23,957. About 1.0% of families and 1.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
is presently designing and building a new route for U.S. Highway 231, which will place that highway within three miles (5 km) of Santa Claus. Local officials are touting the new highway as a major tool to draw new economic development. Even if the hoped-for new development does not come, the new highway (a four-lane, limited-access expressway) will improve access to Holiday World and Splashin' Safari and other local attractions.
Indiana 162, the main highway through town (which will connect to the new U.S. 231), is known as Christmas Boulevard. This is in keeping with the Christmas theme of the town. It is also known as the William A. Koch
Memorial Highway, so named for the local developer who was responsible for much of the town's development, as well as for the creation of the nearby Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
.
Carter Township, Spencer County, Indiana
Carter Township is one of nine townships in Spencer County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, its population was 3,121. Carter Township contains the cities of Dale and Santa Claus.-External links:* *...
, Clay
Clay Township, Spencer County, Indiana
Clay Township is one of nine townships in Spencer County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, its population was 2,494.-External links:* *...
and Harrison
Harrison Township, Spencer County, Indiana
Harrison Township is one of nine townships in Spencer County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, its population was 2,036. Because of the presence of the St. Meinrad Archabbey, this township exists in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and not the Diocese of Evansville with the rest of Spencer...
townships, Spencer County
Spencer County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,391 people, 7,569 households, and 5,752 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 8,333 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile...
in the southwestern part of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
, between Interstate 64
Interstate 64
Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...
and the Ohio River. The population was 2,041 at the 2000 census.
Santa Claus was established in 1854. In 1856, when the town (then known as Santa Fe, mispronounced "fee") was working to establish a Post Office, the US Postal Service refused their first application as there was already another Santa Fe
Santa Fe, Indiana
Santa Fe is an unincorporated town in Butler Township, Miami County, Indiana. It is located at ....
in the state. Several town meetings were held, during which the name Santa Claus was selected.
The town has the world's only post office to bear the name of Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
. Because of this popular name, the post office receives thousands of letters to Santa from all over the world each year. A group of volunteers known as "Santa's Elves" ensures each child receives a reply from Santa Claus; this tradition has been around since at least 1914. Every year, the Post Office also creates a special Christmas hand-cancellation pictorial postmark for use during the month of December, which attracts mail from all over the world. The pictorial postmark is chosen each year from submissions from art students at the local high school, Heritage Hills H.S.
Heritage Hills High School
Heritage Hills High School is a grade nine through twelve public high school located in Lincoln City, Indiana in the United States. The school's principal is Nick Alcorn, and its vice-principal is Jeff Cochren. Heritage Hills High School has a population of about 800 students and about 100 faculty...
Santa Claus has grown substantially since the 1990 census, which recorded just 927 residents. A majority of Santa Claus residents live within the gated community of Christmas Lake Village, which was first established in the late 1960s by Bill Koch
William A. Koch
William Albert "Bill" Koch, Sr. , developed what is today known as Holiday World and Splashin' Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana, the oldest and one of the best-known theme parks in the United States....
. It consists of 2500 acres (10.1 km²) developed around three lakes: Christmas Lake, Lake Holly, and Lake Noel. The street names in Christmas Lake Village are all themed and named after the Christmas season. Many residents also live in Holiday Village, a subdivision on the north side of town.
Santa Claus is the home to numerous themed attractions including: Santa's Candy Castle
Santa's Candy Castle
Santa's Candy Castle, located in Santa Claus, Indiana, is a tourist attraction that uses the traditions and decorations from Christmas as its 'theme'....
, Santa Claus Museum, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
Holiday World & Splashin' Safari is a family owned and operated combination theme park and water park, located near Interstate 64 and U.S. 231 in Santa Claus, Indiana, USA. The theme park is divided into four sections that celebrate Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July with...
, Frosty's Fun Center, Christmas Lake Golf Course, and Santa's Stables. It is also home to Santa's Lodge and Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort.
History
The community of Santa Claus was laid out in 1846. The story of how it received the name of Santa Claus has roots both in fact and legend. In January 1856 the town applied for a post office to be installed. They submitted their application under the name of Santa Fe. The application was returned to them with the message, "Choose some name other than Santa Fe." The process of settling upon the name of Santa Claus has been lost to legend. There are many different versions of the story and there were other choices as well that the town did not settle upon. What is known is that on May 21, 1856, the name of Santa Claus was accepted by the Post Office Department, and the first post office was opened with John Specht as its first postmaster.On June 25, 1895, the Post Office name was changed to the one word "Santaclaus," but the name was changed back to Santa Claus on February 17, 1928. It was then that the Post Office Department decided there would never be another Santa Claus Post Office in the United States, due to the influx of holiday mail and the staffing and logistical problems this caused.
The town's unique name went largely unnoticed until the late 1920s, when Postmaster James Martin began promoting the Santa Claus postmark. The growing volume of holiday mail became so substantial that it caught the attention of Robert Ripley in 1929, who featured the town's post office in his nationally-syndicated “Believe It or Not” cartoon.
The town's new national fame had caught the attention of Vincennes
Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 18,701 at the 2000 census...
entrepreneur Milton Harris. Harris created Santa's Candy Castle
Santa's Candy Castle
Santa's Candy Castle, located in Santa Claus, Indiana, is a tourist attraction that uses the traditions and decorations from Christmas as its 'theme'....
, the first tourist attraction in Santa Claus, Indiana, which is also purported to be the first themed attraction in the United States. Santa Claus Town attractions included a red-brick Candy Castle, sponsored by Curtiss Candy and dedicated December 22, 1935, and the Toy Village, a series of miniature fairytale buildings sponsored by prominent national toy manufacturers. Santa Claus Town led to the creation of the town's first newspaper, The Santa Claus Town News, and the Santa Claus Chamber of Commerce.
Harris' project caught the attention of a rival entrepreneur, Carl Barrett, the Chicago head of the Illinois Auto Club. Disliking what he called Harris' materialism, Barrett planned his own tourist attraction "Santa Claus Park." On December 25, 1935, Barrett dedicated a 22 feet (6.7 m) tall statue of Santa Claus that was erected on the highest hill in town. The statue was promoted as being solid granite, although it was subsequently revealed to be concrete when cracks formed years later.
Years of lawsuits between Harris and Barrett were costly distractions for the two entrepreneurs. The lawsuits centered around land ownership and went all the way to the Indiana Supreme Court. National news media covered the ongoing story of "Too Many Santas." Over the years, both entrepreneurs' visions became vacant and neglected.
On August 3, 1946, retired industrialist Louis J. Koch opened Santa Claus Land, which is claimed to be the first theme park in the world. The park's name was changed to Holiday World
Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
Holiday World & Splashin' Safari is a family owned and operated combination theme park and water park, located near Interstate 64 and U.S. 231 in Santa Claus, Indiana, USA. The theme park is divided into four sections that celebrate Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July with...
in 1984. In 1993, a water park named Splashin' Safari was added, hence the name Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
Holiday World & Splashin' Safari is a family owned and operated combination theme park and water park, located near Interstate 64 and U.S. 231 in Santa Claus, Indiana, USA. The theme park is divided into four sections that celebrate Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July with...
. The park, still owned and operated by the Koch family, attracts more than one million visitors annually, and it is home to The Voyage, repeatedly voted the #1 Wooden Roller Coaster in the World by coaster enthusiasts.
More recently the development of Christmas Lake Village as a gated community has more than doubled the population of Santa Claus. In 2005, a local development company purchased Santa's Candy Castle
Santa's Candy Castle
Santa's Candy Castle, located in Santa Claus, Indiana, is a tourist attraction that uses the traditions and decorations from Christmas as its 'theme'....
and other buildings that comprised Santa Claus Town and announced plans to restore and re-open them to the public. Santa's Candy Castle was the first building of the original Santa Claus Town to be re-opened to the public, when its doors opened on July 1, 2006. Plans exist to re-open the remainder of the original attraction in the future.
Geography
Santa Claus is located at 38.118870°N 86.921422°W.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 town has a total area of 5.6 square miles (14.5 km²), of which, 5.2 square miles (13.5 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (6.82%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
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 2,041 people, 732 households, and 620 families residing in the town. 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 393.8 people per square mile (152.1/km²). There were 818 housing units at an average density of 157.8 per square mile (61.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.22% White, 0.44% Asian, 0.20% 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 0.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.69% of the population.
There were 732 households out of which 39.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 79.0% 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, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.2% were non-families. 12.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the town the population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $60,388, and the median income for a family was $61,991. Males had a median income of $44,514 versus $24,050 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 town was $23,957. About 1.0% of families and 1.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
New Highway
The Indiana Department of TransportationIndiana Department of Transportation
The Indiana Department of Transportation is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Indiana charged with maintaining and regulating transportation and transportation related infrastructure such as state owned airports, state highways and state owned canals or railroads.-Districts:INDOT is...
is presently designing and building a new route for U.S. Highway 231, which will place that highway within three miles (5 km) of Santa Claus. Local officials are touting the new highway as a major tool to draw new economic development. Even if the hoped-for new development does not come, the new highway (a four-lane, limited-access expressway) will improve access to Holiday World and Splashin' Safari and other local attractions.
Indiana 162, the main highway through town (which will connect to the new U.S. 231), is known as Christmas Boulevard. This is in keeping with the Christmas theme of the town. It is also known as the William A. Koch
William A. Koch
William Albert "Bill" Koch, Sr. , developed what is today known as Holiday World and Splashin' Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana, the oldest and one of the best-known theme parks in the United States....
Memorial Highway, so named for the local developer who was responsible for much of the town's development, as well as for the creation of the nearby Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial is a United States Presidential Memorial, a National Historic Landmark District in present-day Lincoln City, Indiana. It preserves the farm site where Abraham Lincoln lived with his family from 1816 to 1830. During that time, he grew from a 7-year-old boy to a...
.
Notable people
- Basketball Hall of FameBasketball Hall of FameThe Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
Coach Arad McCutchanArad McCutchanArad A. McCutchan was a well-known collegiate basketball coach. The Evansville, Indiana native coached his hometown University of Evansville from 1946 to 1977, guiding the Purple Aces to a 515-313 record....
- retired to Santa Claus after stepping down as Head Basketball Coach at the University of EvansvilleUniversity of EvansvilleThe University of Evansville is a small, private university with approximately 3,050 students located in Evansville, Indiana. Founded in 1854 as Moores Hill College, it is located near the interchange of the Lloyd Expressway and U.S. Route 41. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
. - Former Purdue BoilermakersPurdue Boilermakers footballThe Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
fullback/linebacker Jon GoldsberryJon GoldsberryJon Goldsberry is a former fullback in the National Football League. He was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2005, before being cut on September 3, 2005 and then re-signed to the Bills practice squad on September 5, 2005. On December 30, 2005 he was promoted to...
- Native - Jay CutlerJay Cutler (American football)Jay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
, Quarterback Chicago BearsChicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
- Native
See also
- Santa Claus, ArizonaSanta Claus, ArizonaSanta Claus is an uninhabited desert town in Mohave County, Arizona, United States. Originating in 1937, Santa Claus lies approximately northwest of Kingman, Arizona, along U.S...
- Santa Claus, GeorgiaSanta Claus, GeorgiaSanta Claus is a city in Toombs County, Georgia, United States. The population was 250 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Vidalia Micropolitan Statistical Area....
- North Pole, AlaskaNorth Pole, AlaskaNorth Pole is a small city in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Fairbanks, Alaska metropolitan statistical area. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated its population as of July 1, 2009 at 2,226. The name "North Pole" is often applied to the entire area covered...
- North Pole, New YorkNorth Pole, New YorkNorth Pole is a small hamlet located in the town of Wilmington, Essex County, New York in the Adirondack Mountains.- Geography :This tiny hamlet is situated in Adirondack Park at the northern edge of Essex County near Whiteface Mountain, 12 miles from Lake Placid, New York and approximately 30...
- Santa Claus VillageSanta Claus VillageSanta Claus Village is an amusement park near Rovaniemi in the Lapland region of Finland.-Location and transportation:Santa Claus Village is located about 8 km northeast of Rovaniemi and about 2 km from the Rovaniemi Airport....
, Finland
External links
- Town of Santa Claus, Indiana website
- Official website for the Spencer County Visitors Bureau
- Official website for Christmas Lake Village
- Official website for Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
- Official website for Santa's Candy Castle
- Official website for Santa Claus Museum
- Official website for the Santa Claus Christmas Store
- Official website for Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort
- Official website for Santa's Lodge
- Official website of the Santa Claus Christmas Celebration