Wabash is a city in Noble Township, Wabash County, in the U.S. state of

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

. The population was 10,666 at the 2010 census. The city is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Wabash County. Wabash is notable as claiming to be the first electrically lighted city in the world, which was inaugurated on March 31, 1880. However, closer inspection of the reference shows only the court house grounds were lighted. It is also home to the historic Eagles Theatre, Paradise Spring Treaty Grounds (1826), the Wabash and Erie Canal, Presbyterian Church (1880), and Disciples of Christ Christian Church (1865).

Geography

Wabash is located at (40.800799, -85.827163). The Wabash river runs through the town, on its way towards

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

, where it splits creating a series of islands, and where the sandbars are quite common on this stretch. According to the 2010 census, Wabash has a total area of , of which (or 97.39%) is land and (or 2.61%) is water.

Climate

History

The town of Wabash was platted in the spring of 1834 by Col. Hugh Hanna and Col. David Burr. The name Wabash derives from a Miami-Illinois term for "water over white stones." The Wabash post office has been in operation since 1839.Hay, p. 26 The Miami name reflected the clarity of the river in Huntington County, Indiana where the river bottom is

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

. Wabash used a new type of

carbon arc light An arc lamp or arc light is a lamp that produces light by an electric arc (also called a voltaic arc). The carbon arc light, which consists of an arc between carbon electrodes in air, invented by Humphry Davy in the first decade of the 1800s, ...

invented by Charles Brush in 1870. On March 31, 1880, four 3,000-candle power lamps were suspended from the top of the courthouse. Two telegraph wires ran from the lamps to the courthouse basement, where they were connected to a generator powered by a 12-horsepower steam engine to provide power The James M. Amoss Building, Downtown Wabash Historic District, East Wabash Historic District,

First Christian Church Early Christianity (up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325) spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected to already established Jewish centers in the Holy Land and the Jewish ...

, Honeywell Memorial Community Center, Honeywell Studio, McNamee-Ford House, North Wabash Historic District, West Wabash Historic District, and

Solomon Wilson Building Solomon Wilson Building, also known as the Scheerer Building, is a historic commercial building located at Wabash, Wabash County, Indiana. It was built in 1883, and is a -story, two bay by seven bay, Second Empire style brick building on a sto ...

are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

Media

The Wabash Free Trader was published in Wabash from 1871 to 1876. The Wabash Weekly Courier was published from 1876 until 1887.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 10,666 people, 4,465 households, and 2,805 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 5,068 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.3%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.4%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1.0% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 2.0% of the population. There were 4,465 households, of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.2% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age in the city was 41.3 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.7% were from 25 to 44; 26.4% were from 45 to 64; and 18.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 11,743 people, 4,799 households, and 3,100 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 5,136 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.85%

, 0.37%

, 1.06% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.41% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.46% of the population. There were 4,799 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were

living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.95. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $12,000, and the median income for a family was $14000. Males had a median income of $18000 versus $12,000 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $18,210. About 7.9% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The town has a lending library, the Wabash Carnegie Public Library.

Image gallery

File:Cortes del Condado de Wabash, Wabash, Indiana, Estados Unidos, 2012-11-12, DD 01.jpg, Wabash County Courthouse File:Wabash Indiana Paradise Springs Council Cabin.JPG, Paradise Spring Treaty Grounds (1826) File:Wabash Indiana Old Warehouse Wabash n Erie Canal.JPG, Old Warehouse, which backs up on the Wabash and Erie Canal File:Wabash Indiana Presbyterian Church.JPG, Presbyterian Church (1880) File:Iglesia de Cristo, Wabash, Indiana, Estados Unidos, 2012-11-12, DD 01.jpg, Disciples of Christ Christian Church (1865) Centro de Wabash, Indiana, Estados Unidos, 2012-11-12, DD 08.jpg, Former fire station and city hall.

Notable people

* Michael Baber - music and sound editor *

Adelaide Steele Baylor Adelaide Steele Baylor (October 14, 1860 – December 18, 1935) was an American educator and school administrator. She was chief of the Home Economics Education Service in the United States Office of Education from 1923 to 1935. Early life and ...

- federal education official *

Loren M. Berry Loren Murphy Berry (July 24, 1888 – February 10, 1980) was born in Wabash, Indiana, the son of Charles D. and Elizebeth (Murphy) Berry. He was a pioneer in the Yellow Pages business telephone directory industry. Early life His father died whe ...

– pioneer of

Yellow Pages The yellow pages are telephone directories of businesses, organized by category rather than alphabetically by business name, in which advertising is sold. The directories were originally printed on yellow paper, as opposed to Telephone direct ...

telephone directory * Dr.

Rick Brandenburg Dr. Ricky Lynn Brandenburg (born April 4, 1955, in Wabash, Indiana) is a William Neal Reynolds Professor of Distinction professor of entomology at North Carolina State University. He is a native of Indiana, and received his bachelor's degree in ...

– entomologist * John W. Corso – art director and production designer * John P. Costas - telecommunications engineer, noted for Costas loop * James E. Dabler - Illinois state representative and businessman *

Jimmy Daywalt Jimmy Daywalt (August 28, 1924 – April 4, 1966) was an American racecar driver. Born in Wabash, Indiana, he drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1950, 1953–1957, 1959, and 1961–1962 seasons with 20 starts. He f ...

– race car driver * Charles Dingle - actor * Gus Dorais – football player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball *

Crystal Gayle Crystal Gayle (born Brenda Gail Webb; January 9, 1951) is an American country music singer widely known for her 1977 hit "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". Initially, Gayle's management and record label were the same as that of her oldest sist ...

- country singer * Mark Honeywell – founder of Honeywell Corporation and Honeywell Center * Howard A. Howe - polio researcher * O. P. Hubbard - member of the

Alaska Senate The Alaska State Senate is the upper house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. It convenes in the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau, Alaska and is responsible for making laws and confirming or rejecting gu ...

(1915-1919). * Bobby Jones – National Football League guard * Joaquin Miller- poet and frontiersman * George Mullin - Major League Baseball player, nicknamed "Wabash George" *

Keith O'Conner Murphy Keith O'Conner Murphy (Keith Murphy) is an American songwriter, singer and recording artist. His contributions to the rockabilly genre of rock and roll music were recognized in 2002 when he was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. He is a ...

- Rockabilly Hall of Fame singer and songwriter *

Margie Stewart Margie Stewart (December 14, 1919 – April 26, 2012) was the official United States Army poster girl during World War II. She appeared on twelve posters, of which a total of 94 million copies were distributed. She was born in Wabash, In ...

- U.S. Army poster girl during World War II

References

External links

City of Wabash, Indiana website
{{authority control Cities in Indiana Micropolitan areas of Indiana Cities in Wabash County, Indiana County seats in Indiana 1834 establishments in Indiana