West Terre Haute, Indiana
Encyclopedia
West Terre Haute is a town in Sugar Creek Township
, Vigo County
, Indiana
, on the western side of the Wabash River
near Terre Haute
. The population was 2,236 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Terre Haute Metropolitan Statistical Area.
between present-day Third and Fourth Streets. The store proved useful to those working on the National Road and made McQuilkinsville an important town in the area. Because of the town's fertile soil, soon people became settling there as vegetable farmers. John Griggs and his son Edward put up a flour mill in 1867, but the structure was burned in 1870. The town expanded quickly, with Smith Hinch building a tavern on the National Road and Richard McIlroy building a brick general store and post office in 1872.
In 1894 citizens of the town voted to change its name to West Terre Haute.
factory, and a shingle
manufacturer, and the town had grown to a population of 250.
With coal-bearing bluffs immediately to the town's north and west, coal mining
became a major industry in the town. By 1906, West Terre Haute had eleven mines in operation, served by both railroads and wagon roads. These mines averaged a daily output of 2,000 tons.
Clay
deposits in the town led to the production of clay products including building brick
, paving brick, sewer pipe and drain tile
. Four separate companies in the area worked in this industry, including the Vigo Clay Company, the Miller Brick Company, Terre Haute Brick and Pipe Company (also known as the Vitrified Brick Company), and the National Drain Tile Company.
Just north of West Terre Haute was a large gravel
pit a mile in length at its widest point. The gravel was mainly used in railroad grades.
Due to increased employment opportunities, the population of West Terre Haute increased from several hundred in the 1880s to approximately 3500 by the mid 1890s. To accommodate these new residents and commuters, in 1905 a new bridge was built to cross the Wabash River including tracks for the city's streetcar and interurban
line. The Bank of West Terre Haute was established that same year.
, the town's businesses included automobile
repair shops and grocers. However, business faded when I-70 was constructed and circumvented the town.
and a strip of low land on the west side of the river.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 2,330 people, 895 households, and 620 families residing in the town. The population density
was 3,082.4 people per square mile (1,183.7/km²). There were 1,046 housing units at an average density of 1,383.8 per square mile (531.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.55% White, 0.04% African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 0.04% from other races
, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.56% of the population.
There were 895 households out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples
living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the town the population was spread out with 29.1% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $25,954, and the median income for a family was $30,469. Males had a median income of $25,854 versus $19,618 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $11,887. About 16.5% of families and 20.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.4% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.
, Roman Catholic, United Methodist and United Church of Christ
. Bethany Congregational Church
was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2003.
West Terre Haute is literally the west side of Terre Haute, however, the two are not physically connected. They are separated by the Wabash River
. Bridges connecting the two are located on US 40 and I-70. They are distinct political entities. West Terre Haute has its own town council, police department, street department, sewer department, and fire department, though the Vigo County Sheriff's Department has jurisdiction in both cities.
The current town of West Terre Haute is near several unincorporated historical communities, including Toad Hop
(the mostly wooded area between the I-70 exit and US 40), Liggett
and Whitcomb Heights
. A commonly used local nickname for the West Terre Haute region is "West-T," though this carries no official status.
West Terre Haute is in the Vigo County School Corporation
.
The town has five schools:
. Interstate 70
does not pass through West Terre Haute itself but skirts its southern edge. There are two exits on I-70 for West Terre Haute: Exit #1 (eastbound only) onto U.S. 40 and Exit #3 onto Darwin Road, though it is also marked for Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
, which is five miles (8 km) northwest of West Terre Haute.
Sugar Creek Township, Vigo County, Indiana
Sugar Creek Township is one of twelve townships in Vigo County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 8,121.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Sugar Creek Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water.-Unincorporated communities:* Barnhart...
, 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....
, 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...
, on the western side of 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...
near 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...
. The population was 2,236 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Terre Haute Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Originally called McQuilkinsville, then simply Macksville or Maxville, West Terre Haute was laid out by Samuel McQuilkin on November 22, 1836. The first building had been put up in 1833, and in 1834 McQuilkin opened a general store on the National RoadNational Road
The National Road or Cumberland Road was the first major improved highway in the United States to be built by the federal government. Construction began heading west in 1811 at Cumberland, Maryland, on the Potomac River. It crossed the Allegheny Mountains and southwestern Pennsylvania, reaching...
between present-day Third and Fourth Streets. The store proved useful to those working on the National Road and made McQuilkinsville an important town in the area. Because of the town's fertile soil, soon people became settling there as vegetable farmers. John Griggs and his son Edward put up a flour mill in 1867, but the structure was burned in 1870. The town expanded quickly, with Smith Hinch building a tavern on the National Road and Richard McIlroy building a brick general store and post office in 1872.
In 1894 citizens of the town voted to change its name to West Terre Haute.
Growth of industry
By 1878, industries included a lumber mill, a cigarCigar
A cigar is a tightly-rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern...
factory, and a shingle
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
manufacturer, and the town had grown to a population of 250.
With coal-bearing bluffs immediately to the town's north and west, coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
became a major industry in the town. By 1906, West Terre Haute had eleven mines in operation, served by both railroads and wagon roads. These mines averaged a daily output of 2,000 tons.
Clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
deposits in the town led to the production of clay products including building brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
, paving brick, sewer pipe and drain tile
Tile
A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops...
. Four separate companies in the area worked in this industry, including the Vigo Clay Company, the Miller Brick Company, Terre Haute Brick and Pipe Company (also known as the Vitrified Brick Company), and the National Drain Tile Company.
Just north of West Terre Haute was a large gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
pit a mile in length at its widest point. The gravel was mainly used in railroad grades.
Due to increased employment opportunities, the population of West Terre Haute increased from several hundred in the 1880s to approximately 3500 by the mid 1890s. To accommodate these new residents and commuters, in 1905 a new bridge was built to cross the Wabash River including tracks for the city's streetcar and interurban
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
line. The Bank of West Terre Haute was established that same year.
Decline of commerce
Beginning in the early 1920s, the coal, clay and gravel industries slowly declined. West Terre Haute became a mainly residential community for factory workers and miners. After the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, the town's businesses included automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
repair shops and grocers. However, business faded when I-70 was constructed and circumvented the town.
Geography
West Terre Haute is located at 39°27′49"N 87°26′56"W (39.463636, -87.448963). It is separated from Terre Haute by the Wabash RiverWabash 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...
and a strip of low land on the west side of the river.
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 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land.
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 2,330 people, 895 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 3,082.4 people per square mile (1,183.7/km²). There were 1,046 housing units at an average density of 1,383.8 per square mile (531.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.55% White, 0.04% African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 0.04% 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 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.56% of the population.
There were 895 households out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% 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, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the town the population was spread out with 29.1% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $25,954, and the median income for a family was $30,469. Males had a median income of $25,854 versus $19,618 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 $11,887. About 16.5% of families and 20.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.4% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.
Community
St. George's Episcopal Church serves this community, along with several other churches of various denominations, including BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
, Roman Catholic, United Methodist and United Church of Christ
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
. Bethany Congregational Church
Bethany Congregational Church (West Terre Haute, Indiana)
Bethany Congregational Church or Bethany United Church of Christ is a church in West Terre Haute, Indiana.Located in Vigo County, Indiana, the Gothic-style church is built of stone, brick and limestone. The architect was Charles Padgett....
was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2003.
West Terre Haute is literally the west side of Terre Haute, however, the two are not physically connected. They are separated 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...
. Bridges connecting the two are located on US 40 and I-70. They are distinct political entities. West Terre Haute has its own town council, police department, street department, sewer department, and fire department, though the Vigo County Sheriff's Department has jurisdiction in both cities.
The current town of West Terre Haute is near several unincorporated historical communities, including Toad Hop
Toad Hop, Indiana
Toad Hop is an unincorporated town in Sugar Creek Township, Vigo County, Indiana, USA. It is officially part of West Terre Haute, Indiana. In 2010, Toad Hop was a census designated place. It is part of the Terre Haute metropolitan area.the first houses were built in the 1850's...
(the mostly wooded area between the I-70 exit and US 40), Liggett
Liggett, Indiana
Liggett is an unincorporated town in Sugar Creek Township, Vigo County, Indiana, USA. It is part of the Terre Haute metropolitan area.-Geography:Liggett is located at at an elevation of 515 feet....
and Whitcomb Heights
Whitcomb Heights, Indiana
Whitcomb Heights is an unincorporated town in Sugar Creek Township, Vigo County, Indiana, USA. It is officially part of West Terre Haute, Indiana. Whitcomb Heights is part of the Terre Haute metropolitan area.-Geography:...
. A commonly used local nickname for the West Terre Haute region is "West-T," though this carries no official status.
West Terre Haute is in the Vigo County School Corporation
Vigo County School Corporation
Vigo County School Corporation is a school corporation that services Terre Haute, Indiana along with the rest of Vigo County, Indiana. The corporation is led by superintendent Daniel Tanoos and by the Board of Trustees including: Gene Shike, President; Jackie Lower, Vice-President; Mel Burks,...
.
The town has five schools:
- Fayette Elementary School-Grades K-5
- Sugar Creek Consolidated Elementary School-Grades PreK-5
- West Vigo Elementary School-Grades PreK-5
- West Vigo Middle School-Grades 6-8
- West Vigo High School-Grades 9-12
Transportation
West Terre Haute is the last community in Indiana encountered travelling westbound on US 40 before crossing into IllinoisIllinois
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,...
. Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
does not pass through West Terre Haute itself but skirts its southern edge. There are two exits on I-70 for West Terre Haute: Exit #1 (eastbound only) onto U.S. 40 and Exit #3 onto Darwin Road, though it is also marked for Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is a Roman Catholic, four-year liberal arts women's college located northwest of Terre Haute, Indiana, between the Wabash River and the Illinois state line. There is also a small village of the same name located nearby...
, which is five miles (8 km) northwest of West Terre Haute.