Franklin County, Indiana

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Franklin County, Indiana
Location in the state of Indiana
Indiana's location in the U.S.
Founded	1811
Named for	Benjamin Franklin
Seat	Brookville
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	391.05 sq mi (1,013 km²) 384.43 sq mi (996 km²) 6.62 sq mi (17 km²), 1.69%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	23,087 60/sq mi (23.09/km²)
Congressional district	6th
Website	www.franklincountyin.com
Footnotes:   Indiana county number 24

Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 23,087. The county seat is Brookville. It is part of Greater Cincinnati.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 391.05 square miles (1,012.8 km²), of which 384.43 square miles (995.7 km²) (or 98.31%) is land and 6.62 square miles (17.1 km²) (or 1.69%) is water.

Brookville from the northeast.

Major highways

• Interstate 74
• U.S. Route 52
• Indiana State Road 1
• Indiana State Road 46
• Indiana State Road 101
• Indiana State Road 121
• Indiana State Road 229
• Indiana State Road 252

Adjacent counties

Fayette County (north) Union County (northeast) Butler County, Ohio (east) Hamilton County, Ohio (southeast)

Dearborn County (south) Ripley County (southwest) Decatur County (west) Rush County (northwest)

See also: List of counties bordering eight counties

History

Franklin County was formed in 1811. It was named for Benjamin Franklin.

Some of the early settlers of this county were Primitive Baptists, they came with Elder William Tyner who came from Virginia in 1797. They organized the Little Cedar Grove Baptist Church, the first church in the Whitewater Valley. [1] The members built a log church as early as 1805, about two or three miles southeast of Brookville, Indiana. In 1812 they built a large brick church, with balcony, and rifle ports. They held the first meeting in it on August 1, 1812. It is the oldest church building standing on its original site in Indiana. It is open as a historic site.

One further landmark in the county is the Big Cedar Baptist Church and Burying Ground on Big Cedar Creek Road, between the road to Reily and the Oxford Pike. The original church was established in 1817, as an arm of the Little Cedar Baptist church. The plain, simple brick building, but impressive in its simplicity was built in 1838. This church, like all, or nearly all of the pioneer Baptist groups in the county was originally Primitive Baptist or Hardshell. In the 1830s modernism came upon the scene, modernism and human inventions, like Sunday Schools, Missionary Societies, and organs. Organs were particularly anathema to the Primitive Party; an organ was Arron’s golden calf. The Big Cedar congregation divided into two congregations, but the two groups arrived at an amicable settlement and both congregations continued to use the same building. The Primitives, or Hardshells, had church there on the first and third Sabbath of each month, and the Modernists or Missionary Baptists used the church on the second and fourth Sundays. Each congregation had its own wood shed. The building is now maintained in connection with the Big Cedar Cemetery Association.[2]

Governors James B. Ray, Noah Noble and David Wallace were known as the "Brookville Triumvirate," in that they all had lived in Brookville, Franklin County, Indiana and served consecutive terms in the office of Governor of Indiana. Noble and former governor Ray were political enemies.[3]

James B. Goudie Jr. Speaker of the Indiana House was from Franklin County.

Climate and weather

Climate chart for Brookville, Indiana
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
3.01   36 17	2.69   42 20	3.80   53 29	3.99   64 38	4.90   74 48	4.08   83 58	4.27   87 62	3.89   85 60	2.68   79 52	3.03   67 40	3.66   53 32	3.30   41 23
temperatures in °C • precipitation totals in mm source: The Weather Channel

In recent years, average temperatures in Brookville have ranged from a low of 17 °F (−8 °C) in January to a high of 87 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −31 °F (−35.0 °C) was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 104 °F (40 °C) was recorded in September 1951. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.68 inches (68 mm) in September to 4.90 inches (124 mm) in May.

Government

See also: Government of Indiana

The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code.

County Council: The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four year terms. They 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.

Board of Commissioners: 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 the day-to-day functions of the county government.

County Officials: 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 to be residents of the county.

Franklin County is part of Indiana's 6th congressional district; Indiana Senate districts 42 and 43; and Indiana House of Representatives districts 55, 67 and 68.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1820	10,763		—
1830	10,190		−5.3%
1840	13,349		31.0%
1850	17,968		34.6%
1860	19,549		8.8%
1870	20,223		3.4%
1880	20,092		−0.6%
1890	18,366		−8.6%
1900	16,388		−10.8%
1910	15,335		−6.4%
1920	14,806		−3.4%
1930	14,498		−2.1%
1940	14,412		−0.6%
1950	16,034		11.3%
1960	17,015		6.1%
1970	16,943		−0.4%
1980	19,612		15.8%
1990	19,580		−0.2%
2000	22,151		13.1%
2010	23,087		4.2%
Sources: United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Population Division Census Quickfacts

As of the census of 2000, there were 22,151 people, 7,868 households, and 6,129 families residing in the county. The population density was 57 people per square mile (22/km²). There were 8,596 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile (9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 99.02% White, 0.03% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.09% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races. 0.47% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 46.4% were of German, 19.4% American, 9.2% English and 8.5% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 7,868 households out of which 37.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.00% were married couples living together, 8.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.10% were non-families. 19.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the county the population was spread out with 28.10% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 12.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $43,530, and the median income for a family was $50,171. Males had a median income of $33,998 versus $24,516 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,624. About 4.70% of families and 7.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.90% of those under age 18 and 9.70% of those age 65 or over.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Franklin County, Indiana

References

HISTORY OF THE BIG CEDAR CHURCH AND CEMETERY, Page 2