Vermillion County, Indiana
Encyclopedia
Vermillion County lies in western Indiana
between the Illinois
border and the Wabash River
. It was officially established in 1824 and was the 50th Indiana county
to be formed. It is included in the Terre Haute
, Indiana
, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat
is Newport
.
According to the 2010 census, the population was 16,212; It has a population density of about 65 PD/sqmi. The county contains seven incorporated towns with a total population of about 9,900, as well as several unincorporated communities; it is also divided into five townships
which provide local services. An interstate highway, two U.S. routes and five state roads cross the county, as does a major railroad line.
The county was named for the southbound Vermilion River
, which flows nearby. The name is spelled in the French style with a double letter "l", compared to the English spelling of the adjacent Vermilion County
, Illinois. This is one of only a few cases in the United States in which a county borders a county with the same name in another state.
The first courthouse was a frame building. The contract was awarded in June 1824 for $345 and was to be completed by the following November; it was used for county business until a brick building could be constructed. The brick courthouse was contracted in 1831; the completed building was used until January 29, 1844 when the building caught fire. It was repaired and served until 1868 when a third courthouse was built at a cost of $30,000; a west wing was added in 1903 at a cost of $28,000. That building was struck by lightning early on the morning of May 27, 1923 and was largely destroyed by fire. Construction on the fourth (and current) courthouse began that same year; Halbert Fillinger and John Bayard were the architects. The stone building was constructed by Jasper Good of Columbus at a cost of $358,707, and the new courthouse was dedicated on June 11, 1925.
The Newport Hill Climb was first held in 1909. The event was started and stopped several times over the years; but the Newport Lions Club
now runs the Newport Antique Auto Hill Climb, and it has been held continuously since the 1960s and involves several hundred cars each year.
to the north. Its eastern border is defined by the Wabash River
; Fountain
and Parke
counties lie across the river to the northeast and southeast, respectively. Vigo County
, from which Parke and Vermillion counties were formed, lies to the south. The county's western border is shared with the state of Illinois. To the northwest lies Vermilion County
; its city of Danville
is west of the northern border of Vermillion County. To the southwest is Edgar County
; its city of Paris
is west of Vermillion County's southern border. The state capital of Indianapolis
lies about 65 miles (104.6 km) to the east.
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 259.93 square miles (673.2 km²), of which 256.88 square miles (665.3 km²) (or 98.83%) is land and 3.05 square miles (7.9 km²) (or 1.17%) is water. The Vermillion River, for which the county was named, enters from Illinois to the west and crosses the county to empty into the Wabash River near Cayuga. Forests cover about 23% of the county, or about 37865 acres (15,323.4 ha), and consist principally of deciduous hardwoods among which maple
–beech
and oak
–hickory
forests are the most common.
At a meeting of the board of commissioners on March 23, 1824 (the same year the county was formed), four townships were created: Clinton
, Helt
, Highland
and Vermillion
. Later, Eugene Township
was created out of portions of Highland and Vermillion; the north end of Highland Township became part of Warren County.
There are seven incorporated towns in Vermillion County. Cayuga
is located near the confluence of the Vermillion and Wabash rivers, along State Road 63 just west of its intersection with State Road 234. Clinton
is the largest settlement in the county with a population of about 5100, and lies further to the south along the Wabash River, between it and State Road 63; State Road 163 passes through the town to reach U.S. Route 41 on the east side of the river. Fairview Park
is just north of Clinton; State Road 63 passes through the north end of the town. Dana
is a small town just north of the intersection of U.S. Route 36 and State Road 71. Newport
is located just east of State Road 63, a few miles south of Cayuga; it is the county seat, although it is one of the smallest incorporated towns in the county. Perrysville
is also located along the Wabash River, on State Road 32 just east of its intersection with State Road 63. Universal
is in the far southern part of the county, west of State Road 63.
In addition to the incorporated towns, there are also many unincorporated communities. Helt Township has more than any other township and includes the towns of Alta
, Bono
, Highland
, Hillsdale
, Jonestown
, Saint Bernice
, Summit Grove
. Clinton Township contains Blanford
, Centenary
, Klondyke
and Syndicate
. Highland Township includes Flat Iron
, Gessie
, Rileysburg
and Tree Spring
. Eugene Township, which contains Cayuga, has just one unincorporated community: Eugene
, which is just north of Cayuga.
At least three other towns once existed in Vermillion County but have since become extinct: Quaker
, Randall
and Toronto
.
region of the United States along with most of Indiana. Its Köppen climate classification
is Dfa, meaning that it is cold, has no dry season, and has a hot summer. In recent years, temperatures in Newport have ranged from an average low of 15 °F (-9.4 °C) in January to a high of 85 °F (29.4 °C) in July, although a record low of -26 °F was recorded in 1994, and a record high of 105 °F (40.6 °C) was recorded in 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.8 inches (4.6 cm) inches in February to 4.53 inches (11.5 cm) inches in June.
does so as well, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) further to the north. U.S. Route 36
crosses the south part of the county on its way from Rockville to Chrisman, Illinois, passing just south of Dana.
runs from the state line through Perrysville and continues east toward Crawfordsville. runs the length of the county from north to south on its way to Terre Haute in the south; begins at State Road 63 near Newport and runs southwest, then south through Dana and Bono before ending at Blanford. There, runs east through Clinton to join U.S. Route 41
on the east side of the Wabash River. runs from the Indiana border through Cayuga, continuing east through Kingman
in Fountain County.
CSX Transportation
operates a railroad line running from Danville, Illinois to Terre Haute; this line runs most of the length of Vermillion County from north to south, passing through Rilesyburg, Cayuga and Clinton before crossing the Wabash River. Another CSX line coming from Decatur, Illinois
enters the county from the west and meets the north–south line near Hillsdale. The 6 miles (9.7 km) Vermilion Valley Railroad passes through the very north edge of the county on its way from the Flex-N-Gate factory west of Covington to Danville, Illinois.
, located in Clinton, Indiana
. The Indianapolis International Airport
is located about 65 miles (104.6 km) to the east.
There are no colleges or universities within Vermillion County, but there are several nearby. Indiana State University
is a public four-year college in Terre Haute in neighboring Vigo County, about 30 miles (48.3 km) to the south of Newport. Rose–Hulman Institute of Technology, a smaller private college also in Terre Haute, specializes in teaching engineering, mathematics, and science. Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana
has 23 campuses throughout the state; the nearest to Vermillion County is in Terre Haute.
The Vermillion County Public Library has branches in Cayuga, Newport, and Dana. In 1909 a Carnegie library
was built in Clinton; it was expanded in 1947 and in 1953. In the early 1990s it was determined that an entirely new building was needed, and this was completed in 1994.
Union Hospital, located in Terre Haute to the south, operates a hospital in Clinton.
Henry Dana Washburn
was born in Vermont in 1832; in 1850 he moved to Vermillion County, studied law, and opened a practice in Newport in 1853. He served in the Civil War on the Union side as a lieutenant colonel and later as a general; after the war he was elected to the United States House of Representatives
and served through 1869. In 1870 he headed an expedition which explored the area that later became Yellowstone National Park
. He died 1871 in Clinton and is buried at Riverside Cemetery.
Claude Matthews
was the governor of Indiana from 1893 to 1897. He was born in Kentucky in 1845; he moved to Vermillion County in 1867 and became a prominent farmer. He was elected Indiana Secretary of State in 1890, and governor in 1893. He died in 1898 in Indianapolis and is buried in Clinton; he was 52 years old.
Ernie Pyle
was born on a farm near Dana in 1900. He served for three months in the United States Navy Reserve at the end of World War I; after the war he attended Indiana State University
but left before graduating to take a newspaper job. He served for several years as the managing editor at the Washington Daily News, and later became the nation's first aviation columnist. He began as a roving correspondent in 1935, and became a war correspondent when the United States entered World War II. His work during the war earned him a Pulitzer Prize
. He died in combat in 1945.
Ken Kercheval
was born in Clinton in 1935 and became an actor in 1962; he is best known for his role as "Cliff Barnes" in the television series Dallas
.
and the Indiana Code
. The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms and 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.
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 day-to-day functions of the county government.
Vermillion Circuit Court serves as the court of general jurisdiction
. It hears civil cases, criminal felonies, and some misdemeanor
s and infractions. Clinton
maintains a city court that can hear misdemeanors and infractions.
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 be residents of the county.
Each of the townships has a trustee who administers rural fire protection and ambulance service, provides poor relief and manages cemetery care, among other duties. The trustee is assisted in these duties by a three-member township board. The trustees and board members are elected to four-year terms.
Based on 2000 census results, Vermillion County is part of Indiana's 8th congressional district
, the 38th Indiana Senate
district, and the 42nd Indiana House of Representatives
district.
was 65 PD/sqmi. There were 7,405 housing units at an average density of 29 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.39% White
, 0.26% Black
or African American
, 0.24% Native American
, 0.12% Asian
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
, 0.16% from other races
, and 0.80% from two or more races. 0.64% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race. 22.7% were of American
, 16.5% German
, 13.2% English
, 11.0% Italian
and 9.5% Irish
ancestry.
There were 6,762 households out of which 30.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.30% were married couples
living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.30% were non-families. 26.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.80% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,837, and the median income for a family was $41,809. Males had a median income of $32,279 versus $22,647 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $18,579. About 6.30% of families and 9.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.40% of those under age 18 and 12.60% of those age 65 or over.
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 the Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
border and the Wabash River
Wabash River
The Wabash River is a river in the Midwestern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near Fort Recovery across northern Indiana to southern Illinois, where it forms the Illinois-Indiana border before draining into the Ohio River, of which it is the largest northern tributary...
. It was officially established in 1824 and was the 50th Indiana county
County (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...
to be formed. It is included in the Terre Haute
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
, 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...
, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Newport
Newport, Indiana
Newport is a town in Vermillion Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, United States. The population was 515 at the 2010 census. The town is the county seat of Vermillion County.-Geography:Newport is located at ....
.
According to the 2010 census, the population was 16,212; It has a population density of about 65 PD/sqmi. The county contains seven incorporated towns with a total population of about 9,900, as well as several unincorporated communities; it is also divided into five townships
Civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
which provide local services. An interstate highway, two U.S. routes and five state roads cross the county, as does a major railroad line.
History
The first non-indigenous settlers in the area arrived in 1816, the same year that the state of Indiana was established. Vigo County was formed in 1818 and included the area that later became Parke and Vermillion counties. In 1821, Parke County was formed, and on January 2, 1824, the Indiana General Assembly created Vermillion County out of Parke County; the act took effect on February 1. The county seat was established at Newport later that year, and it has always remained there.The county was named for the southbound Vermilion River
Vermilion River (Wabash River tributary)
The Vermilion River is a tributary of the Wabash River in the states of Illinois and Indiana, United States.There are two "Vermilion Rivers" in Illinois. The Wabash tributary flows south, while the other Vermilion River flows north to the Illinois River...
, which flows nearby. The name is spelled in the French style with a double letter "l", compared to the English spelling of the adjacent Vermilion County
Vermilion County, Illinois
Vermilion County is a county located in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Illinois, between the Indiana border and Champaign County. It was established in 1826 and was the 45th of Illinois' 102 counties...
, Illinois. This is one of only a few cases in the United States in which a county borders a county with the same name in another state.
The first courthouse was a frame building. The contract was awarded in June 1824 for $345 and was to be completed by the following November; it was used for county business until a brick building could be constructed. The brick courthouse was contracted in 1831; the completed building was used until January 29, 1844 when the building caught fire. It was repaired and served until 1868 when a third courthouse was built at a cost of $30,000; a west wing was added in 1903 at a cost of $28,000. That building was struck by lightning early on the morning of May 27, 1923 and was largely destroyed by fire. Construction on the fourth (and current) courthouse began that same year; Halbert Fillinger and John Bayard were the architects. The stone building was constructed by Jasper Good of Columbus at a cost of $358,707, and the new courthouse was dedicated on June 11, 1925.
The Newport Hill Climb was first held in 1909. The event was started and stopped several times over the years; but the Newport Lions Club
Lions Clubs International
Lions Clubs International is a secular service organization with over 44,500 clubs and more than 1,368,683 members in 191 countries around the world founded by Melvin Jones Headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, United States, the organization aims to meet the needs of communities on a local and...
now runs the Newport Antique Auto Hill Climb, and it has been held continuously since the 1960s and involves several hundred cars each year.
Geography
Vermillion County is less than 10 miles (16.1 km) from east to west at its widest point, but covers over 37 miles (59.5 km) from north to south. It shares a 6.5 miles (10.5 km) border with Warren CountyWarren County, Indiana
Warren County lies in western Indiana between the Illinois border and the Wabash River in the United States. Before the arrival of non-indigenous settlers in the early 19th century, the area was inhabited by several Native American tribes. The county was officially established in 1827 and...
to the north. Its eastern border is defined by the Wabash River
Wabash River
The Wabash River is a river in the Midwestern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near Fort Recovery across northern Indiana to southern Illinois, where it forms the Illinois-Indiana border before draining into the Ohio River, of which it is the largest northern tributary...
; Fountain
Fountain County, Indiana
Fountain County lies in the western part of the U.S. state of Indiana on the east side of the Wabash River. The county was officially established in 1826 and was the 53rd in Indiana. The county seat is Covington....
and Parke
Parke County, Indiana
Parke County is a county in the western part of the U.S. state of Indiana. It was formed in 1821 out of a portion of Vigo County. The county seat is Rockville....
counties lie across the river to the northeast and southeast, respectively. Vigo County
Vigo County, Indiana
Vigo County is a county located along the western border of the U.S. state of Indiana. Vigo County is included in the Terre Haute, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Terre Haute....
, from which Parke and Vermillion counties were formed, lies to the south. The county's western border is shared with the state of Illinois. To the northwest lies Vermilion County
Vermilion County, Illinois
Vermilion County is a county located in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Illinois, between the Indiana border and Champaign County. It was established in 1826 and was the 45th of Illinois' 102 counties...
; its city of Danville
Danville, Illinois
Danville is a city in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is the principal city of the'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Danville and Vermilion County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 32,467. It is the county seat of...
is west of the northern border of Vermillion County. To the southwest is Edgar County
Edgar County, Illinois
Edgar County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 18,576, which is a decrease of 5.7% from 19,704 in 2000...
; its city of Paris
Paris, Illinois
Paris is a city in Paris Township, Edgar County, Illinois, USA, south of Chicago, and west of Indianapolis. In 1900, 6,105 people lived in Paris, Illinois; in 1910, 7,664; and in 1940, 9,281. The population was 8,837 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Edgar County.-Geography:Paris is...
is west of Vermillion County's southern border. The state capital of Indianapolis
Indianapolis
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...
lies about 65 miles (104.6 km) to the east.
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 259.93 square miles (673.2 km²), of which 256.88 square miles (665.3 km²) (or 98.83%) is land and 3.05 square miles (7.9 km²) (or 1.17%) is water. The Vermillion River, for which the county was named, enters from Illinois to the west and crosses the county to empty into the Wabash River near Cayuga. Forests cover about 23% of the county, or about 37865 acres (15,323.4 ha), and consist principally of deciduous hardwoods among which maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
–beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
and oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
–hickory
Hickory
Trees in the genus Carya are commonly known as hickory, derived from the Powhatan language of Virginia. The genus includes 17–19 species of deciduous trees with pinnately compound leaves and big nuts...
forests are the most common.
At a meeting of the board of commissioners on March 23, 1824 (the same year the county was formed), four townships were created: Clinton
Clinton Township, Vermillion County, Indiana
Clinton Township is one of five townships in Vermillion County, Indiana, USA. At the 2000 census, its population was 9,544.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Clinton Township covers an area of ; of this, or 2.37 percent is water....
, Helt
Helt Township, Vermillion County, Indiana
Helt Township is one of five townships in Vermillion County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 2,651.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Helt Township covers an area of ; of this, or 0.75 percent is water....
, Highland
Highland Township, Vermillion County, Indiana
Highland Township is one of five townships in Vermillion County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 1,655.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Highland Township covers an area of ; of this, or 0.95 percent is water....
and Vermillion
Vermillion Township, Vermillion County, Indiana
Vermillion Township is one of five townships in Vermillion County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 993.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Vermillion Township covers an area of ; of this, or 0.9 percent is water....
. Later, Eugene Township
Eugene Township, Vermillion County, Indiana
Eugene Township is one of five townships in Vermillion County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 1,945.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Eugene Township covers an area of ; of this, or 1.21 percent is water....
was created out of portions of Highland and Vermillion; the north end of Highland Township became part of Warren County.
There are seven incorporated towns in Vermillion County. Cayuga
Cayuga, Indiana
Cayuga is a town in Eugene Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,162 at the 2010 census.-History:When the town was laid out in 1827, it was called Eugene Station. It was later renamed after the lake and city of Cayuga in New York. The name is based on the...
is located near the confluence of the Vermillion and Wabash rivers, along State Road 63 just west of its intersection with State Road 234. Clinton
Clinton, Indiana
Clinton is a city in Vermillion County, Indiana, United States. The population was 4,893 at the 2010 census. The city was established in 1829 and is named after DeWitt Clinton, who served as governor of New York from 1817 to 1823. Many of Clinton's original settlers were immigrants working in coal...
is the largest settlement in the county with a population of about 5100, and lies further to the south along the Wabash River, between it and State Road 63; State Road 163 passes through the town to reach U.S. Route 41 on the east side of the river. Fairview Park
Fairview Park, Indiana
Fairview Park is a town in Clinton Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,386 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Fairview Park is located at ....
is just north of Clinton; State Road 63 passes through the north end of the town. Dana
Dana, Indiana
Dana is a town in Helt Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, United States. The population was 608 at the 2010 census. It is primarily a farming community.Famed World War II war correspondent Ernie Pyle was born on a tenant farm near Dana...
is a small town just north of the intersection of U.S. Route 36 and State Road 71. Newport
Newport, Indiana
Newport is a town in Vermillion Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, United States. The population was 515 at the 2010 census. The town is the county seat of Vermillion County.-Geography:Newport is located at ....
is located just east of State Road 63, a few miles south of Cayuga; it is the county seat, although it is one of the smallest incorporated towns in the county. Perrysville
Perrysville, Indiana
Perrysville is a town in Highland Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, United States. The population was 456 at the 2010 census.-History:Perrysville was platted and surveyed in 1825 by James Blair on a bluff on the west side of the Wabash River...
is also located along the Wabash River, on State Road 32 just east of its intersection with State Road 63. Universal
Universal, Indiana
Universal is a town in Clinton Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, United States. The population was 362 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Universal is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
is in the far southern part of the county, west of State Road 63.
In addition to the incorporated towns, there are also many unincorporated communities. Helt Township has more than any other township and includes the towns of Alta
Alta, Indiana
Alta is a town in Helt Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, United States....
, Bono
Bono, Vermillion County, Indiana
Bono is an unincorporated town in Helt Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, USA....
, Highland
Highland, Vermillion County, Indiana
Highland is an unincorporated town in Helt Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, USA.-Geography:Highland is located at , one mile west of the Wabash River and the Parke County town of Montezuma, and less than a mile northwest of Hillsdale....
, Hillsdale
Hillsdale, Indiana
Hillsdale is an unincorporated community in Helt Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, United States.-Geography:Hillsdale is located at on the western banks of the Wabash River.-Trivia:...
, Jonestown
Jonestown, Indiana
Jonestown is an unincorporated town in Helt Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, USA.-Geography:Jonestown is located less than a mile east of the larger town of Saint Bernice....
, Saint Bernice
Saint Bernice, Indiana
Saint Bernice is an unincorporated town in Helt Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, USA. It had a population of 646 at the 2010 census....
, Summit Grove
Summit Grove, Indiana
Summit Grove is an unincorporated town in Helt Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, USA....
. Clinton Township contains Blanford
Blanford, Indiana
Blanford is a town in Clinton Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, United States....
, Centenary
Centenary, Indiana
Centenary is a town in Clinton Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, United States....
, Klondyke
Klondyke, Indiana
Klondyke is a town in Clinton Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, United States....
and Syndicate
Syndicate, Indiana
Syndicate is an unincorporated town in Clinton Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, USA....
. Highland Township includes Flat Iron
Flat Iron, Indiana
Flat Iron is a small, unincorporated community in Highland Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, United States.-Geography:Flat Iron is located at . State Road 32, County Road 100W and County Road 1150N come together at this point to enclose a triangular, iron-shaped area of flat ground, giving...
, Gessie
Gessie, Indiana
Gessie is a small town in Highland Township, Vermillion County, Indiana in the United States. The sole business the town was a grain elevator on railroad street, next to the CSX railroad tracks, with a pepsi machine. Several years ago the grain elevator was destroyed by a tornado...
, Rileysburg
Rileysburg, Indiana
Rileysburg is a small town in Highland Township, Vermillion County, Indiana in the United States.- Geography :Rileysburg is located at 40°06'15" North, 87°31'32" West , one mile south of Interstate 74, a little over a quarter mile east of the Indiana-Illinois state line, and on a CSX Transportation...
and Tree Spring
Tree Spring, Indiana
Tree Spring is a town in Vermillion County, Indiana, United States.-Geography:Tree Spring is a landmark located at in Highland Township, Vermillion County, Indiana....
. Eugene Township, which contains Cayuga, has just one unincorporated community: Eugene
Eugene, Indiana
Eugene is an unincorporated community in Vermillion County, Indiana, United States.-History:The town was laid out in 1827. Legend says that a local drunk, in searching for his wife, would frequently call out "Oh, Jane", but his inebriation cause it to sound more like "Eu, Jene", and this was taken...
, which is just north of Cayuga.
At least three other towns once existed in Vermillion County but have since become extinct: Quaker
Quaker, Indiana
Quaker is an extinct town in Vermillion Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, United States. The post office at Quaker was established in 1894 and discontinued in 1914....
, Randall
Randall, Indiana
Randall is an extinct town in Helt Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, United States. The post office at Randall was established in 1858 and discontinued in 1872. Randall is also 1.6 miles west of another extinct town of Toronto, Indiana, on W County Road 700 S. The nearest extant community is...
and Toronto
Toronto, Indiana
Toronto is an extinct town in Helt Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, United States. The site is near the Illinois and Indiana border....
.
Climate and weather
Vermillion County is in the humid continental climateHumid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
region of the United States along with most of Indiana. Its Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
is Dfa, meaning that it is cold, has no dry season, and has a hot summer. In recent years, temperatures in Newport have ranged from an average low of 15 °F (-9.4 °C) in January to a high of 85 °F (29.4 °C) in July, although a record low of -26 °F was recorded in 1994, and a record high of 105 °F (40.6 °C) was recorded in 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.8 inches (4.6 cm) inches in February to 4.53 inches (11.5 cm) inches in June.
Transportation
passes from east to west through the north end of the county; U.S. Route 136U.S. Route 136
U.S. Highway 136 is a spur of U.S. Highway 36. It runs from Edison, Nebraska, at U.S. Highway 6 and U.S. Highway 34 to the Interstate 74/Interstate 465 interchange in Speedway, Indiana. This is a distance of 804 miles .-Nebraska:...
does so as well, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) further to the north. U.S. Route 36
U.S. Route 36
U.S. Route 36 is an east–west United States highway that runs for from Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado to Uhrichsville, Ohio. The highway's western terminus is at Deer Ridge Junction, an intersection in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, where it meets U.S. Route 34. Its eastern...
crosses the south part of the county on its way from Rockville to Chrisman, Illinois, passing just south of Dana.
runs from the state line through Perrysville and continues east toward Crawfordsville. runs the length of the county from north to south on its way to Terre Haute in the south; begins at State Road 63 near Newport and runs southwest, then south through Dana and Bono before ending at Blanford. There, runs east through Clinton to join U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 41 is a north–south United States Highway that runs from Miami, Florida to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, was U.S...
on the east side of the Wabash River. runs from the Indiana border through Cayuga, continuing east through Kingman
Kingman, Indiana
Kingman is a town in Millcreek Township, Fountain County, Indiana, United States. The population was 511 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Kingman is located at , on Indiana State Road 234 about 2 miles west of U.S...
in Fountain County.
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
operates a railroad line running from Danville, Illinois to Terre Haute; this line runs most of the length of Vermillion County from north to south, passing through Rilesyburg, Cayuga and Clinton before crossing the Wabash River. Another CSX line coming from Decatur, Illinois
Decatur, Illinois
Decatur is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city, sometimes called "the Soybean Capital of the World", was founded in 1823 and is located along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. In 2000 the city population was 81,500,...
enters the county from the west and meets the north–south line near Hillsdale. The 6 miles (9.7 km) Vermilion Valley Railroad passes through the very north edge of the county on its way from the Flex-N-Gate factory west of Covington to Danville, Illinois.
Airport
The county has a small airport, the Clinton AirportClinton Airport
Clinton Airport is a privately-owned, public-use airport located north of the central business district of Clinton, a city in Vermillion County, Indiana, United States.- Facilities and aircraft :...
, located in Clinton, Indiana
Clinton, Indiana
Clinton is a city in Vermillion County, Indiana, United States. The population was 4,893 at the 2010 census. The city was established in 1829 and is named after DeWitt Clinton, who served as governor of New York from 1817 to 1823. Many of Clinton's original settlers were immigrants working in coal...
. The Indianapolis International Airport
Indianapolis International Airport
Indianapolis International Airport is a public airport located seven miles southwest of the central business district of Indianapolis, a city in Marion County, Indiana, United States. It is owned and operated by the Indianapolis Airport Authority...
is located about 65 miles (104.6 km) to the east.
Economy
Vermillion County's economy is supported by a labor force of approximately 7,924 workers with an unemployment rate in December 2010 of 12.5%. Government jobs make up 13% of the county's employment. Manufacturing accounts for 12.4%, and construction 10%, while 8.5% of the county's jobs relate to farming.Education and health care
The administration of public schools in Vermillion County is divided between two entities. The North Vermillion Community School Corporation administers North Vermillion Junior-Senior High School and North Vermillion Elementary School, both located just north of Cayuga along State Road 63. The South Vermillion Community School Corporation administers schools located in Clinton, including South Vermillion High School, South Vermillion Middle School and three elementary schools: Central, Ernie Pyle and Van Duyn. It also manages the Parke Vermillion Education and Training Interlocal (PVETI) in Hillsdale.There are no colleges or universities within Vermillion County, but there are several nearby. Indiana State University
Indiana State University
Indiana State University is a public university located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States.The Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by U.S...
is a public four-year college in Terre Haute in neighboring Vigo County, about 30 miles (48.3 km) to the south of Newport. Rose–Hulman Institute of Technology, a smaller private college also in Terre Haute, specializes in teaching engineering, mathematics, and science. Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana
Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana
Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana is Indiana's community college system, encompassing 24 campuses in 14 regions. The community college system now has more than 165,000 students...
has 23 campuses throughout the state; the nearest to Vermillion County is in Terre Haute.
The Vermillion County Public Library has branches in Cayuga, Newport, and Dana. In 1909 a Carnegie library
Carnegie library
A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...
was built in Clinton; it was expanded in 1947 and in 1953. In the early 1990s it was determined that an entirely new building was needed, and this was completed in 1994.
Union Hospital, located in Terre Haute to the south, operates a hospital in Clinton.
Notable people
Henry D. Washburn
Henry Dana Washburn was a U.S. Representative from Indiana and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
was born in Vermont in 1832; in 1850 he moved to Vermillion County, studied law, and opened a practice in Newport in 1853. He served in the Civil War on the Union side as a lieutenant colonel and later as a general; after the war he was elected to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and served through 1869. In 1870 he headed an expedition which explored the area that later became Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
. He died 1871 in Clinton and is buried at Riverside Cemetery.
Claude Matthews
Claude Matthews
Claude Matthews was the 23rd Governor of the U.S. state of Indiana from 1893 to 1897. A farmer, he was nominated to prevent the loss of voters to the Populist Party. The Panic of 1893 occurred just before he took office, leading to severe economic problems during his term...
was the governor of Indiana from 1893 to 1897. He was born in Kentucky in 1845; he moved to Vermillion County in 1867 and became a prominent farmer. He was elected Indiana Secretary of State in 1890, and governor in 1893. He died in 1898 in Indianapolis and is buried in Clinton; he was 52 years old.
Ernie Pyle
Ernie Pyle
Ernest Taylor Pyle was an American journalist who wrote as a roving correspondent for the Scripps Howard newspaper chain from 1935 until his death in combat during World War II. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1944...
was born on a farm near Dana in 1900. He served for three months in the United States Navy Reserve at the end of World War I; after the war he attended Indiana State University
Indiana State University
Indiana State University is a public university located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States.The Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by U.S...
but left before graduating to take a newspaper job. He served for several years as the managing editor at the Washington Daily News, and later became the nation's first aviation columnist. He began as a roving correspondent in 1935, and became a war correspondent when the United States entered World War II. His work during the war earned him a Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
. He died in combat in 1945.
Ken Kercheval
Ken Kercheval
Ken Kercheval is an American actor, best known for his role as Cliff Barnes on the television series Dallas....
was born in Clinton in 1935 and became an actor in 1962; he is best known for his role as "Cliff Barnes" in the television series Dallas
Dallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
.
Government
The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of IndianaConstitution of Indiana
There have been two Constitutions of the State of Indiana. The first constitution was created when the Territory of Indiana sent forty-three delegates to a constitutional convention on June 10, 1816 to establish a constitution for the proposed State of Indiana after the United States Congress had...
and the Indiana Code
Indiana Code
The Indiana Code is the code of laws for the US State of Indiana. The contents are the codification of the all the laws currently in effect within Indiana...
. The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms and 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.
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 day-to-day functions of the county government.
Vermillion Circuit Court serves as the court of general jurisdiction
General jurisdiction
A court of general jurisdiction is one that has the authority to hear cases of all kinds - criminal, civil, family, probate, and so forth.-Courts of general jurisdiction in the United States:All federal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction. Many U.S...
. It hears civil cases, criminal felonies, and some misdemeanor
Misdemeanor
A misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
s and infractions. Clinton
Clinton, Indiana
Clinton is a city in Vermillion County, Indiana, United States. The population was 4,893 at the 2010 census. The city was established in 1829 and is named after DeWitt Clinton, who served as governor of New York from 1817 to 1823. Many of Clinton's original settlers were immigrants working in coal...
maintains a city court that can hear misdemeanors and infractions.
The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
, coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
, auditor, treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
, recorder
Recorder of deeds
Recorder of deeds is a government office tasked with maintaining public records and documents, especially records relating to real estate ownership that provide persons other than the owner of a property with real rights over that property.-Background:...
, surveyor
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
and circuit court clerk
Court clerk
A court clerk is an officer of the court whose responsibilities include maintaining the records of a court. Another duty is to administer oaths to witnesses, jurors, and grand jurors...
. 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
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
affiliations and be residents of the county.
Each of the townships has a trustee who administers rural fire protection and ambulance service, provides poor relief and manages cemetery care, among other duties. The trustee is assisted in these duties by a three-member township board. The trustees and board members are elected to four-year terms.
Based on 2000 census results, Vermillion County is part of Indiana's 8th congressional district
Indiana's 8th congressional district
Indiana's 8th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Indiana. Based in Southwest and west central Indiana, the district is anchored in Evansville and also includes Terre Haute, Vincennes and Washington....
, the 38th Indiana Senate
Indiana Senate
The Indiana Senate is the upper house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The Senate is composed of 50 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. Senators serve four-year terms without term limits...
district, and the 42nd Indiana House of Representatives
Indiana House of Representatives
The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House members serve two-year terms without term limits...
district.
Demographics
As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 16,788 people, 6,762 households, and 4,713 families residing in the county. The population densityPopulation 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 65 PD/sqmi. There were 7,405 housing units at an average density of 29 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 98.39% White
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...
, 0.26% Black
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...
or African American
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...
, 0.24% Native American
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...
, 0.12% Asian
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...
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
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...
, 0.16% 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 0.80% from two or more races. 0.64% of the population were Hispanic
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...
or Latino
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...
of any race. 22.7% were of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 16.5% German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, 13.2% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, 11.0% Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
and 9.5% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
ancestry.
There were 6,762 households out of which 30.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.30% 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, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.30% were non-families. 26.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.80% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 15.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,837, and the median income for a family was $41,809. Males had a median income of $32,279 versus $22,647 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 county was $18,579. About 6.30% of families and 9.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.40% of those under age 18 and 12.60% of those age 65 or over.