Crawfordsville, Indiana
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Crawfordsville is a city in Montgomery County in west central
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 s ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, west by northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 16,306. 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 st ...
of Montgomery County, the only chartered city and largest populated place in the county. Crawfordsville is part of a broader Indianapolis combined statistical area, although the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area is only north. It is home to
Wabash College Wabash College is a private liberal arts men's college in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Founded in 1832 by several Dartmouth College graduates and Midwestern leaders, it enrolls nearly 900 students. The college offers an undergraduate liberal arts cu ...
, which was ranked by ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' as #12 in the United States for undergraduate studies in 2008. The city was founded in 1823 on the bank of Sugar Creek, a southern tributary of the
Wabash River The Wabash River (French: Ouabache) is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 13, 2011 river that drains most of the state of Indiana in the United States. It flows from ...
and named for U.S. Treasury Secretary
William H. Crawford William Harris Crawford (February 24, 1772 – September 15, 1834) was an American politician and judge during the early 19th century. He served as US Secretary of War and US Secretary of the Treasury before he ran for US president in the 1824 ...
.


History


Early 19th century

In 1813, Williamson Dunn, Henry Ristine, and Major Ambrose Whitlock, U.S. Army, noted that the site of present-day Crawfordsville was ideal for settlement, surrounded by
deciduous forest In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...
and potentially arable land, with water provided by a nearby creek, later named Sugar Creek, that was a southern tributary of the Wabash River. They returned a decade later to find at least one cabin had been built in the area. In 1821, William and Jennie Offield had built a cabin on a little creek, later to be known as Offield Creek, southwest of the future site of Crawfordsville. Whitlock, a Virginian who had served under Gen. "Mad"
Anthony Wayne Anthony Wayne (January 1, 1745 – December 15, 1796) was an American soldier, officer, statesman, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his mil ...
in the Northwest Indian War, laid out the town in March 1823. Crawfordsville was named in honor of
William H. Crawford William Harris Crawford (February 24, 1772 – September 15, 1834) was an American politician and judge during the early 19th century. He served as US Secretary of War and US Secretary of the Treasury before he ran for US president in the 1824 ...
, a fellow Virginian who was
Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...
under Presidents
Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...
and Monroe at that time and who had issued Whitlock's commission as Receiver of Public Lands.Gronert, Theodore G., ''Sugar Creek Saga: A History and Development of Montgomery County'', Wabash College, 1958.Ronald L. Baker and Marvin Carmony: ''Indiana Place Names'', Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Ind., 1975, p. 35. Whitlock was the first settler in the town. According to a diary of Sanford C. Cox, who in 1824 was one of the first schoolmasters in the area, "Crawfordsville is the only town between Terre Haute and Fort Wayne... Maj. Ristine keeps tavern in a two-story log house and Jonathan Powers has a little grocery. There are two stores, Smith's near the land office, and Issac C. Elston's, near the tavern... David Vance
s the S, or s, is the nineteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ess'' (pronounced ), plural ''esses''. Histor ...
sheriff."History of Montgomery County, together with historic notes on the Wabash Valley, gleaned from early authors, old maps and manuscripts, private and official correspondence, and other authentic ... sources. Author: Beckwith, Hiram Williams, 1833-1903. Published: Chicago: H.H. Hill and N. Iddings, 1881. pg. 117 It was successfully incorporated as a town in 1834, following a failed attempt three years earlier. In November 1832,
Wabash College Wabash College is a private liberal arts men's college in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Founded in 1832 by several Dartmouth College graduates and Midwestern leaders, it enrolls nearly 900 students. The college offers an undergraduate liberal arts cu ...
was founded in Crawfordsville as "The Wabash Teachers Seminary and Manual Labor College". It was created by
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
missionaries but later became non-sectarian. On December 18, 1833, the ''Crawfordsville Record'' carried a paid announcement of the opening of this school. The school is one of only three remaining all-male liberal arts colleges in the country and has a student body of around 900. In 1842, 9-year-old Horace Hovey discovered remarkably well-preserved
Pentacrinites ''Pentacrinites'' is an extinct genus of crinoids that lived from the Hettangian to the Bathonian of Asia, Europe, North America, and New Zealand. Their stems are pentagonal to star-shaped in cross-section and are the most commonly preserved par ...
or
Crinoid Crinoids are marine animals that make up the class Crinoidea. Crinoids that are attached to the sea bottom by a stalk in their adult form are commonly called sea lilies, while the unstalked forms are called feather stars or comatulids, which are ...
s along the banks of Sugar Creek, which drew researchers and fossil enthusiasts to the area. Crawfordsville grew in size and amenities, adding such necessities as a bank and fire department. It gained status as a city in 1865, when the state of Indiana granted its charters.


Late 19th century

In 1862, Joseph F. Tuttle, after whom Tuttle Grade School was named in 1906 and Tuttle Junior High School (now Crawfordsville Middle School) was named in 1960, became president of Wabash College and served for 30 years. "He was an eloquent preacher, a sound administrator and an astute handler of public relations." Tuttle, together with his administrators, worked to improve relations in Crawfordsville between "Town and Gown". Several future and past Civil War generals lived in Crawfordsville at different times. Generals
Lew Wallace Lewis Wallace (April 10, 1827February 15, 1905) was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, governor of the New Mexico Territory, politician, diplomat, and author from Indiana. Among his novels and biographies, Wallace is ...
and
Mahlon D. Manson Mahlon Dickerson Manson (February 20, 1820 – February 4, 1895) was a druggist, Indiana politician, and a Union general in the American Civil War. Biography Manson was born in Piqua, Ohio, to David Manson, Jr., and Sarah Cornwall. He was a ...
spent most their lives in the town. Generals
Edward Canby Edward Richard Sprigg Canby (November 9, 1817 – April 11, 1873) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. In 1861–1862, Canby commanded the Department of New Mexico, defeating the Confederate Gen ...
and
John P. Hawkins John Parker Hawkins (September 29, 1830 – February 7, 1914) was a career officer of the United States Army who served as brigadier general during the American Civil War, in which he served as a commissary officer and as a commander of colored tro ...
spent some of their youth in Crawfordsville. General Henry B. Carrington lived in the town after the war and taught military science at Wabash College. Several other future generals were students at Wabash before the war, including
Joseph J. Reynolds Joseph Jones Reynolds (January 4, 1822 – February 25, 1899) was an American engineer, educator, and military officer who fought in the American Civil War and the postbellum Indian Wars. Early life and career Reynolds was born in Fleming ...
,
John C. Black John Charles Black (January 27, 1839 – August 17, 1915) was a Democratic U.S. Congressman from Illinois. He received the Medal of Honor for his actions as a Union Army lieutenant colonel and regimental commander at the Battle of Prairie Grove ...
(brevet brigadier), Speed S. Fry, Charles Cruft, and William H. Morgan. In 1880, prominent local citizen
Lew Wallace Lewis Wallace (April 10, 1827February 15, 1905) was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, governor of the New Mexico Territory, politician, diplomat, and author from Indiana. Among his novels and biographies, Wallace is ...
produced Crawfordsville's most famous literary work, '' Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ'', a historical novel dealing with the beginnings of Christianity in the Mediterranean world. In addition to Wallace, Crawfordsville lived up to its nickname "The Athens of Indiana" by being the hometown of a number of authors, including
Maurice Thompson James Maurice Thompson (September 9, 1844 – February 15, 1901) was an American novelist, poet, essayist, archer and naturalist. Biography James Maurice Thompson was born in 1844 in the former town of Fairfield, Indiana, located in Union Co ...
, Mary Hannah Krout,
Caroline Virginia Krout Caroline Virginia Krout (c. 1852–1931) was an American writer. She was born in Balhinch, near Crawfordsville, Indiana, in about1852. She wrote several novels and a collection of short stories under the pen name Caroline Brown. In addition to b ...
, Susan Wallace, Will H. Thompson, and
Meredith Nicholson Meredith Nicholson (December 9, 1866 – December 21, 1947) was a best-selling author from Indiana, United States, a politician, and a diplomat. Biography Nicholson was born on December 9, 1866, in Crawfordsville, Indiana, to Edward Willis Nic ...
. Hoosiers have long believed that the first basketball game in Indiana occurred on March 16, 1894 at the Crawfordsville YMCA between the teams from Crawfordsville's and Lafayette's YMCAs. Recent research, however, conclusively shows that while Crawfordsville was among the first dozen or so Indiana communities to adopt the sport, it was not the first place basketball was played in Indiana. Nevertheless, Crawfordsville had a vibrant basketball playing culture from early on with teams from the local YMCA, Wabash College, Crawfordsville High School, and a business college competing against each other. Crawfordsville was also the site for one of the earliest intercollegiate basketball games, between Wabash College and Purdue University, in 1894 at the city's YMCA. In 1882, one of the first
rotary jail A rotary jail was an architectural design for some prisons in the Midwestern United States during the late 19th century. Cells in the jails were wedges on a platform that rotated in a carousel fashion. The surrounding of the entire level had a sin ...
s in the country opened. It served from 1882 until 1972. The Montgomery County Jail and Sheriff's Residence is now a museum and 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 ...
.


20th century

The beginning of the 20th century marked important steps for Crawfordsville, as
Culver Union Hospital Culver Union Hospital is a historic hospital building located at Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana. It was built in 1902 and was named after L.L. Culver who donated $10,000 towards the construction. The building is a four-story, rectan ...
and the Carnegie Library were built in 1902. Culver operated as a not-for-profit, municipally-owned facility for 80 years, but was then sold to for-profit American Medical International, and in 1984 was relocated from its original location near downtown to a new campus north of the city. The hospital's ownership was transferred to Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, Inc. in 2000 and renamed St. Clare Medical Center. In 2011, it was again renamed, to Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health - Crawfordsville. In 1911,
Crawfordsville High School Crawfordsville High School is a former public high school erected in 1910 on East Jefferson Street in Crawfordsville, Indiana, Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana, and was a part of the Crawfordsville Community Schools. The building was exp ...
was founded, and promptly won the state's first high school basketball title. Crawfordsville's major employer for much of the century, commercial printer
RR Donnelley R.R. Donnelley is an American Fortune 500 integrated communications company that provides marketing and business communications, commercial printing, and related services. Its corporate headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois, United State ...
, began operations in Crawfordsville in 1922. Recent history has held few nationally noteworthy events for the city but much internal change.
Nucor Nucor Corporation is an American producer of steel and related products based in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is the largest steel producer in the United States, the largest "mini-mill" steelmaker (i.e. it uses electric arc furnaces to melt s ...
Steel, Alcoa CSI,
Raybestos Raybestos is a brand of automotive brakes established in 1902 by Arthur H. Raymond and Arthur F. Law of Bridgeport, Connecticut. History In 1906, Raymond and Law invented the woven brake lining, an important innovation in automotive brakes. Fr ...
Products Company, Pace Dairy Foods, and
Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...
have all created factories in or near Crawfordsville which provided employment to much of the population. Manpower has taken over as the primary employer in the city and has allowed most of the local companies to reduce employees. In 2008, Raybestos laid off the majority of its workforce with less than 100 employees left.
Wabash College Wabash College is a private liberal arts men's college in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Founded in 1832 by several Dartmouth College graduates and Midwestern leaders, it enrolls nearly 900 students. The college offers an undergraduate liberal arts cu ...
won the Division III NCAA basketball title in 1982. The college plays an annual football game against
Depauw University DePauw University is a private liberal arts university in Greencastle, Indiana. It has an enrollment of 1,972 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the ...
for the
Monon Bell The Monon Bell (pronounced MOE-non) is the trophy awarded to the victor of the annual college football matchup between the Wabash College Little Giants (in Crawfordsville, Indiana) and the DePauw University Tigers (in Greencastle, Indiana) in ...
, one of the oldest rivalries in all college sports. In 1998, the state began a proposed project to widen U.S. Route 231, in an attempt to ease intrastate travel flow.


21st century

In 2005, the Crawfordsville District Public Library moved into a new building across the street from the city's Carnegie library. The library retained ownership of the old building and re-opened it as the Carnegie Museum of Montgomery County in 2007. On May 8, 2007, approximately a quarter-block of historic buildings in the 100 block of South Washington Street was burned in a major fire. A woman in one of the buildings reported the fire. One person, Leslie Eric Largent, died in the fire. The fire was covered by the press statewide. Two buildings, built circa 1882, were completely destroyed: one housed the Silver Dollar Bar (formerly Tommy Kummings' Silver Dollar Tavern); the other contained the New York Shoe Repair and Bargain Center at the corner of Pike and Washington streets. Above the shoe store were several apartments where residents were sleeping. On May 22, the fire was ruled to have been an act of arson. In 2015, Crawfordsville won a Stellar Community grant from Indiana Office of Community & Rural Affairs. On May 17, 2018, a new clock tower built by Kentucky-based Campbellsville Industries was put into place on the courthouse's original clock tower base. The original clock tower had been taken down in 1941 due to structural concerns. The clock tower was made possible by the Montgomery County Courthouse Clock Tower Committee and its fundraising efforts spanning more than twenty years. The clock tower was dedicated on June 17, and the bells and chimes were sounded for the first time.


National Register of Historic Places

As of 2016, Crawfordsville has twelve properties 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 ...
. Three of the properties are currently museums: Gen. Lew Wallace Study, Henry S. Lane House, and Montgomery County Jail and Sheriff's Residence. Two of the properties are historic districts: Crawfordsville Commercial Historic District, and Elston Grove Historic District. Two listings are active churches:
Bethel AME Church of Crawfordsville Bethel AME Church of Crawfordsville is a historic African Methodist Episcopal Church, African Methodist Episcopal Church (building), church located at Crawfordsville, Indiana, Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana. It was built in 1892, and ...
, and Saint John's Episcopal Church. The others properties are currently used as a law office ( Otto Schlemmer Building), senior apartments and recreation center (
Crawfordsville High School Crawfordsville High School is a former public high school erected in 1910 on East Jefferson Street in Crawfordsville, Indiana, Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana, and was a part of the Crawfordsville Community Schools. The building was exp ...
), a private residence ( McClelland-Layne House), the headquarters of the local Daughters of the American Revolution chapter ( Col. Isaac C. Elston House), and a former hospital renovated for senior apartments
Culver Union Hospital Culver Union Hospital is a historic hospital building located at Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana. It was built in 1902 and was named after L.L. Culver who donated $10,000 towards the construction. The building is a four-story, rectan ...
.


Geography

Crawfordsville is located at (40.038831, −86.896755). According to the 2010 census, Crawfordsville has a total area of , all land. Crawfordsville is located in west-central Indiana, about an hour west-northwest of Indianapolis, the state's capital and largest city. While the Crawfordsville Micropolitan Area is not yet formally a part of the
Indianapolis metropolitan area Indianapolis–Carmel–Anderson or Indianapolis metropolitan area is an 11-county metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Indiana, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget. The metropolitan area is situated in Central Indiana, within t ...
, it is considered a part of the wider Indianapolis Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Indianapolis marketing area.


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 in ...
of 2010, there were 15,915 people, 6,396 households, and 3,837 families residing in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...
was . There were 7,154 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.1%
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 o ...
, 1.7%
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 ...
, 0.4% Native American, 0.9%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 3.3% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.6% 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 forme ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race were 8.2% of the population. There were 6,396 households, of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.0% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14% 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 2.91. The median age in the city was 36.6 years. 22.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 13.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 23.4% were from 45 to 64, and 16.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.1% male and 49.9% female.


2000 census

As of the 2000
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 in ...
, there were 15,243 people, 6,117 households, and 3,664 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 6,623 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.02%
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 o ...
, 1.61%
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 ...
, 0.31% Native American, 0.70%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.07%
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 ...
, 2.39% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.91% 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 forme ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race were 3.25% of the population. There were 6,117 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.94. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 13.4% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $34,571, and the median income for a family was $43,211. Males had a median income of $32,834 versus $22,093 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 $16,945. About 10.0% of families and 12.9% 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 t ...
, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.


Industry

Crawfordsville is the home of the world's first thin-slab casting minimill (steel manufacturing plant that recycles scrap steel using an electric arc-furnace). Nucor Steel broke ground on its first sheet steel mill and first galvanizing line at its billion-dollar Crawfordsville facility in 1987. R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company started a printing plant in Crawfordsville in 1921 that continues to employ many local residents. The plant name changed to
LSC Communications LSC Communications is an American commercial printing company based in Chicago, Illinois, and, as of December 2020, a fully-owned subsidiary of Atlas Holdings. The company was established in 2016 as part of a corporate spin-off from RR Donnelley ...
in October 2016 when RR Donnelley & Sons separated into three separate companies. The factory is now called Lakeside Book Company


Education

Most of the city lies within the Crawfordsville Community Schools school district, while parts of northern Crawfordsville are in
North Montgomery Community School Corporation North Montgomery Community School Corporation (NMCSC) or North Montgomery Schools is a school district headquartered in unincorporated Montgomery County, Indiana, north of Crawfordsville. The district serves some sections of northern Crawfordsvil ...
and very small sections of southern Crawfordsville are in
South Montgomery Community School Corporation The South Montgomery Community School Corporation, often abbreviated SMCSC, administers a total of 5 schools, including 1 high school 1 middle school and 3 elementary schools south of Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana. Its administrative ...
.


Universities and colleges

*
Wabash College Wabash College is a private liberal arts men's college in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Founded in 1832 by several Dartmouth College graduates and Midwestern leaders, it enrolls nearly 900 students. The college offers an undergraduate liberal arts cu ...
*
Ivy Tech Community College Ivy Tech Community College (Ivy Tech) is a public community college system in the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the state's public community college system and it has more than 40 locations. It is also the state's largest public postsecondary in ...
(Crawfordsville)


Media

Crawfordsville is among the smallest cities in the United States to have two daily newspapers, ''The Paper'' and the ''Journal Review''.


Transportation


Highways

*
Interstate 74 } Interstate 74 (I-74) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western end is at an interchange with I-80 in Davenport, Iowa (Quad Cities); the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an interchange ...
to
Danville, Illinois Danville is a city in and the county seat of Vermilion County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 33,027. As of 2019, the population was an estimated 30,479. History The area that is now Danville was once home to the Miami, K ...
and Indianapolis *
U.S. Route 136 U.S. Route 136 is an east-west U.S. highway that is a spur route of U.S. Route 36. It runs from Edison, Nebraska, at U.S. Route 6 and U.S. Route 34 to the Interstate 74/Interstate 465 interchange in Speedway, Indiana. This is a distance of . U ...
Danville, Illinois Danville is a city in and the county seat of Vermilion County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 33,027. As of 2019, the population was an estimated 30,479. History The area that is now Danville was once home to the Miami, K ...
and Indianapolis * U.S. Route 231 to
Lafayette Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to: People * Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette * House of La Fayette, a French noble family ** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757 ...
and Greencastle * State Road 32 to Perrysville and
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
* State Road 47 to Sheridan and Waveland


Rail

Until 1967, Crawfordsville was served by passenger trains of the
Monon Railroad The Monon Railroad , also known as the Chicago, Indianapolis, and Louisville Railway from 1897 to 1971, was an American railroad that operated almost entirely within the state of Indiana. The Monon was merged into the Louisville and Nashville Ra ...
, which provided service to Chicago, Lafayette, Greencastle, and Bloomington. The Monon merged into the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in 1971. Currently, Crawfordsville is served by Amtrak's thrice weekly New York–Chicago '' Cardinal''. The Chicago-bound ''Cardinal'' stops in Crawfordsville at 7:28 am on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, while the New York-bound ''Cardinal'' stops at 10:30 pm on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.


Airport

Crawfordsville is served by the Crawfordsville Regional Airport (KCFJ). Located south of the city, the airport handles approximately 6,383 operations per year, with 100% general aviation and <1% air taxi. The airport has a asphalt runway with approved GPS and NDB approaches (Runway 4-22).


Notable people

* Joseph P. Allen – mission specialist on the first fully operational flight of the
Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program ...
in 1982 * Albert B. Anderson – Judge for U.S. District Court 1902 to 1925 and U.S. Court of Appeals from 1925 to 1938 * "Curly Bill" Brocius
Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...
outlaw, evidence stating his birthplace as Crawfordsville is tenuous *
Edward Richard Sprigg Canby Edward Richard Sprigg Canby (November 9, 1817 – April 11, 1873) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. In 1861–1862, Canby commanded the Department of New Mexico, defeating the Confederate Gen ...
– Union general in the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
; attended local
Wabash College Wabash College is a private liberal arts men's college in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Founded in 1832 by several Dartmouth College graduates and Midwestern leaders, it enrolls nearly 900 students. The college offers an undergraduate liberal arts cu ...
as a student. *
Henry Beebee Carrington Henry Beebee Carrington (March 2, 1824 – October 26, 1912) was a lawyer, professor, prolific author, and an officer in the United States Army during the American Civil War and in the Old West during Red Cloud's War. A noted engineer, he con ...
– Union general during the Civil War *
Joseph Stephen Crane Joseph Stephenson "Steve" Crane (February 7, 1916 – February 6, 1985) was an American actor and restaurateur. A Columbia Pictures actor in the early 1940s, Crane opened the Luau, a popular celebrity restaurant, in 1953 and established a s ...
– restaurateur of Luau and Kon Tiki restaurants; actor; husband to actresses
Lana Turner Lana Turner ( ; born Julia Jean Turner; February 8, 1921June 29, 1995) was an American actress. Over the course of her nearly 50-year career, she achieved fame as both a pin-up model and a film actress, as well as for her highly publicized pe ...
(1942–1944) and Martine Carol (1948–1953) * Sidney and Wilbur de Paris – brothers, jazz musicians * Beatrice Schenk de Regniers – children's books author *
Dick Dietz Richard Allen Dietz (September 18, 1941 – June 28, 2005) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1966 to 1973, most prominently as a member of the San Francisco Giants wher ...
– professional baseball player *
Leroy Edwards Leroy Harry Edwards (April 11, 1914 – August 25, 1971), nicknamed "Cowboy" and "Lefty", was one of the greatest basketball players of his era. He was an NCAA All-American at the University of Kentucky and also one of the most lauded professiona ...
– 1940s University of Kentucky and professional basketball player * Isaac Compton Elston, Sr. – land speculator, banker, patriarch of Crawfordsville's pre-eminent family *
Larry Eyler Larry William Eyler (December 21, 1952 – March 6, 1994) was an American serial killer who is believed to have murdered a minimum of twenty-one teenage boys and young men in a series of killings committed in the Midwest between 1982 and 1984. C ...
– Serial killer and abductor * Dave Gerard – cartoonist created "Will-Yum" and "Citizen Smith", also served as Crawfordsville mayor *
Bayless W. Hanna Bayless W. Hanna (March 14, 1830 – August 2, 1891) was an United States of America, American lawyer, politician, and diplomat who served as the Indiana Attorney General, the United States Ambassador to Iran, U.S. Minister to Iran, and the ...
– Indiana Attorney General (1870–1872), U.S. Minister to Argentina (1885–1889), publisher of the ''Crawfordsville Review'' (1883–1885) * Elizabeth Boynton Harbert – 19th-century American author, lecturer, reformer and philanthropist, born and grew up in Crawfordsville. *
John Parker Hawkins John Parker Hawkins (September 29, 1830 – February 7, 1914) was a career officer of the United States Army who served as brigadier general during the American Civil War, in which he served as a commissary officer and as a commander of colored tro ...
– lived in Crawfordsville as a boy, career Army officer, became a Union brigadier general during the Civil War * Bill Holman – cartoonist, creator of '' Smokey Stover'' * James Brian Hellwig (1959–2014) – professional wrestler, best known as ''
The Ultimate Warrior Warrior (born James Brian Hellwig; June 16, 1959 – April 8, 2014) was an American professional wrestler and bodybuilder. Best known by his ring name The Ultimate Warrior, he wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) from ...
'' *
Kent Kessler Kent Kessler (born January 28, 1957) is an American jazz double-bassist. Career Although born in Crawfordsville, Indiana, Kessler grew up on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He began playing trombone at age ten. When he was thirteen, he moved with his f ...
– avant garde jazz bassist *
Caroline Virginia Krout Caroline Virginia Krout (c. 1852–1931) was an American writer. She was born in Balhinch, near Crawfordsville, Indiana, in about1852. She wrote several novels and a collection of short stories under the pen name Caroline Brown. In addition to b ...
– author * Mary Hannah Krout – journalist and author *
Eleanor Lambert Eleanor Lambert (August 10, 1903 – October 7, 2003) was an American fashion publicist. She was instrumental in increasing the international prominence of the American fashion industry and in the emergence of New York City as a major fashion ca ...
– head of NYC Fashion Institute, sister of
Ward Lambert Ward Louis "Piggy" Lambert (May 28, 1888 – January 20, 1958) was an American basketball and baseball coach. He served as the head basketball coach at Purdue University during the 1916–17 season and from 1918 to 1946. Lambert was also the head ...
*
Janet Lambert Janet Lambert (December 1893 – March 16, 1973) was an actress and the author of 54 young-adult fiction titles for girls from 1941 to 1969. Lambert's works, best known for the Penny and Tippy Parrish series, focused on the lives and coming-of-age ...
– author of young adult fiction *
Ward Lambert Ward Louis "Piggy" Lambert (May 28, 1888 – January 20, 1958) was an American basketball and baseball coach. He served as the head basketball coach at Purdue University during the 1916–17 season and from 1918 to 1946. Lambert was also the head ...
Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and mone ...
's basketball coach from 1916–1917, 1918–1946, National Basketball League Commissioner, Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member, brother of
Eleanor Lambert Eleanor Lambert (August 10, 1903 – October 7, 2003) was an American fashion publicist. She was instrumental in increasing the international prominence of the American fashion industry and in the emergence of New York City as a major fashion ca ...
*
Henry S. Lane Henry Smith Lane (February 24, 1811 – June 19, 1881) was a United States representative, Senator, and the 13th Governor of Indiana; he was by design the shortest-serving Governor of Indiana, having made plans to resign the office should his ...
United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
,
Governor of Indiana The governor of Indiana is the head of government of the State of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state governmen ...
, and pallbearer for
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
* Stephen A. Love – musician *
Mahlon D. Manson Mahlon Dickerson Manson (February 20, 1820 – February 4, 1895) was a druggist, Indiana politician, and a Union general in the American Civil War. Biography Manson was born in Piqua, Ohio, to David Manson, Jr., and Sarah Cornwall. He was a ...
Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...
brigadier general, Indiana Lieutenant Governor (1885–1886), U.S. Representative (1871–1873), resident of Crawfordsville * James W. Marshall – gold miner who set off the California Gold Rush. * Joseph E. McDonald – lawyer, U.S. Representative (1849–1850), U.S. Senator (1875–1881) *
Caleb Mills Caleb Mills (July 29, 1806 – October 17, 1879) was an American educator who served as the Superintendent of Public Instruction in Indiana and was the first faculty member at Wabash College. He played a central role in designing the public educa ...
– author of the free school bill of Indiana, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, first professor at Wabash College * James Atwell Mount
Governor of Indiana The governor of Indiana is the head of government of the State of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state governmen ...
from 1897–1901 *
Kenyon Nicholson Kenyon Nicholson (May 21, 1894 – December 19, 1986) was an American playwright and screenwriter. Early life John Kenyon Nicholson was born in Crawfordsville, Indiana, on May 21, 1894, the oldest son of Thomas B. and Anne (Kenyon) Nichols ...
– playwright and screenwriter *
Meredith Nicholson Meredith Nicholson (December 9, 1866 – December 21, 1947) was a best-selling author from Indiana, United States, a politician, and a diplomat. Biography Nicholson was born on December 9, 1866, in Crawfordsville, Indiana, to Edward Willis Nic ...
– author (''
The House of a Thousand Candles ''The House of a Thousand Candles'' is a 1936 American thriller film directed by Arthur Lubin and starring Phillips Holmes, Mae Clarke and Irving Pichel. It is based on the 1906 novel by Meredith Nicholson. The novel had been filmed twice before, ...
'', ''A Hoosier Chronicle''), politician, diplomat * Robert B. F. Peirce – U.S. Representative (1881–83) *
Allen Saunders Allen Saunders (April 24, 1899 – January 28, 1986) was an American writer, journalist and cartoonist who wrote the comic strips ''Steve Roper and Mike Nomad'', ''Mary Worth'' and ''Kerry Drake''. He is credited with being the originator of the ...
– cartoonist, wrote ''Steve Roper'', and ''Mary Worth'' * Ferdinand Louis Schlemmer – artist *
Will Shortz William F. Shortz (born August 26, 1952) is an American puzzle creator and editor and crossword puzzle editor for ''The New York Times''. Early life and education Will Shortz was born and raised on an Arabian horse farm in Crawfordsville, Indi ...
– ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' puzzle writer *
Maurice Thompson James Maurice Thompson (September 9, 1844 – February 15, 1901) was an American novelist, poet, essayist, archer and naturalist. Biography James Maurice Thompson was born in 1844 in the former town of Fairfield, Indiana, located in Union Co ...
– author, poet, naturalist, State Geologist, popularized archery as a sport * William Wheeler Thornton – author, State Supreme Court librarian, Indiana Deputy Attorney General, Crawfordsville City Attorney * Randal Turner – opera singer; baritone * Dick Van Dyke – actor, briefly attended Tuttle Middle School in Crawfordsville *
Lew Wallace Lewis Wallace (April 10, 1827February 15, 1905) was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, governor of the New Mexico Territory, politician, diplomat, and author from Indiana. Among his novels and biographies, Wallace is ...
– Union general in the Civil War and author of '' Ben-Hur''; Governor of New Mexico Territory from 1878 to 1881; served as U.S. Minister to the Ottoman Empire from 1881 to 1885; resided in Crawfordsville; attended
Wabash College Wabash College is a private liberal arts men's college in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Founded in 1832 by several Dartmouth College graduates and Midwestern leaders, it enrolls nearly 900 students. The college offers an undergraduate liberal arts cu ...
. * Susan Wallace – author and poet, wife of Lew Wallace *
Maurine Dallas Watkins Maurine Dallas Watkins (July 27, 1896? – August 10, 1969) was an American playwright and screenwriter. Early in her career, she briefly worked as a journalist covering the courthouse beat for the ''Chicago Tribune''. This experience gave her th ...
– author of ''Chicago''; Hollywood screenwriter *
Howdy Wilcox Howard Samuel Wilcox (June 24, 1889 – September 4, 1923) was an American racecar driver active in the formative years of auto racing. Biography He was born in Crawfordsville, Indiana on June 24, 1889. Wilcox won the 1919 Indianapolis 500 ...
Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...
racing pioneer, winner of the 1919 Indy 500 * Mary Holloway Wilhite (1831–1892) – physician and philanthropist *
Henry Lane Wilson Henry Lane Wilson (November 3, 1857 – December 22, 1932) was an American attorney who was appointed by President William Howard Taft to the post of United States Ambassador to Mexico in 1910. He brought together opponents of Mexico's democra ...
– U.S. diplomat and Ambassador to
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, son of James Wilson *
James Wilson James Wilson may refer to: Politicians and government officials Canada *James Wilson (Upper Canada politician) (1770–1847), English-born farmer and political figure in Upper Canada * James Crocket Wilson (1841–1899), Canadian MP from Quebe ...
– politician,
United States Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from Indiana and United States Ambassador to
Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
* John L. Wilson – politician,
United States Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
and Senator from
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, son of James Wilson


Footnotes


External links


City of Crawfordsville

Community Profile

Crawfordsville District Public Library

''Crawfordsville Star,''
Google news archive. —PDFs of 1,180 issues, dating from 1872 through 1898.
''Daily News-Review,''
Google news archive. —PDFs of 1,050 issues, dating from 1900 through 1903.
''Crawfordsville Review,''
Google news archive. —PDFs of 765 issues, dating from 1911 through 1928. {{Authority control * Cities in Indiana Micropolitan areas of Indiana Cities in Montgomery County, Indiana County seats in Indiana 1834 establishments in Indiana Indianapolis metropolitan area