LaGrange County, Indiana

LaGrange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 40,446.^[2] The county seat is LaGrange, Indiana.^[3] The county is located in the Northern Indiana region known as Michiana and is about 55 miles (89 km) east of South Bend, 105 miles (169 km) west of Toledo, Ohio, and 175 miles (282 km) northeast of Indianapolis. The area is well known for its large Amish population.^[4] For that reason, the county teams up with neighboring Elkhart County to promote tourism by referring to the area as Northern Indiana Amish Country.^[5] About half of LaGrange County is Amish,^[2] and it is home to the third-largest Amish community in the United States, which belongs to the Elkhart-LaGrange Amish affiliation.

LaGrange County
County
LaGrange County courthouse in LaGrange, Indiana. Built in the 1870s, it is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
Indiana's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 41°38′30″N 85°25′00″W
Country	United States
State	Indiana
Founded	1832
Named for	Château de la Grange-Bléneau
Seat	LaGrange
Largest city	LaGrange
Area
• Total	386.70 sq mi (1,001.5 km2)
• Land	379.62 sq mi (983.2 km2)
• Water	7.08 sq mi (18.3 km2)  1.83%
Population  (2020)
• Total	40,446
• Estimate  (2023)[1]	40,907
• Density	100/sq mi (40/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	3rd
Website	www.lagrangecounty.org
Indiana county number 44

History

The first settlement of LaGrange County was founded about a half mile west of Lima in 1828.^{[citation needed]} Over the next four years, settlers flocked to parts of Lima, Springfield, and Van Buren Townships. Finally in 1832, LaGrange County was carved out of neighboring Elkhart County and established with Lima as the county seat.^[6] The town of LaGrange was platted in 1836 and settled in 1842 as the new county seat, closer to the center of the county.^[7] Lima's name was changed to Howe in 1909.^[6] LaGrange was laid out and platted in 1836.^[8]

LaGrange County's initial settlers were Yankee immigrants, that is to say, they were from New England. They were descended from the English Puritans who settled that region in the colonial era. They were part of a wave of New England settlers moving west into what was then the Northwest Territory after the completion of the Erie Canal. The original settlers in LaGrange County specifically hailed from the Massachusetts counties of Worcester County, Suffolk County and Berkshire County; the Connecticut counties of Hartford County and Windham County as well as the Connecticut towns of Sherman, Lebanon and Fairfield; and from the Vermont towns of Burlington, Brookfield, Huntington and Grand Isle. They were mainly members of the Congregational Church, but as a result of the Second Great Awakening, many became Baptists and many also converted to Pentecostalism and Methodism. When they arrived in LaGrange County, there was nothing but a virgin forest and wild prairie. The New England settlers cleared roads, built farms, constructed churches, erected government buildings, and established post routes. As a result of this migration, LaGrange County was culturally continuous with early New England culture for many years.^[9]

In 1837, the government removed Chief Shipshewana and the Potawatomi Tribe from the county's northwest corner. Several years later, the Chief was allowed to return and died in Newbury Township in 1841.^[6] A town named Georgetown had been platted in 1837 but was abandoned because of lack of development. In 1844, the first Amish came from Pennsylvania to settle around the old town. The village continued to grow, and the town of Shipshewana was platted nearby in 1899 and incorporated in 1916 in Newbury Township.^[6]

LaGrange County was named after the Château de la Grange-Bléneau, home of Revolutionary War hero, the Marquis de la Fayette, outside of Paris, France.^[10]

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 386.70 square miles (1,001.5 km²), of which 379.62 square miles (983.2 km²) (or 98.17%) is land and 7.08 square miles (18.3 km²) (or 1.83%) is water.^[11]

The county is mostly made up of rural farmland but also some rolling hills and several lakes.

Adjacent counties

• St. Joseph County, Michigan (northwest)
• Branch County, Michigan (northeast)
• Steuben County (east)
• Noble County (south)
• Elkhart County (west)

Transportation

Major highways

• I-80 / I-90 / Indiana Toll Road

Climate and weather

LaGrange, Indiana
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     1.8     29 14     1.8     34 16     2.7     45 25     3.3     57 36     3.6     69 47     4.2     79 57     3.6     82 61     4     80 59     3.5     73 51     2.8     61 40     2.9     47 31     2.6     34 20 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches Source: The Weather Channel[12]
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     45     −2 −10     45     1 −9     68     7 −4     85     14 2     92     21 8     106     26 14     91     28 16     102     27 15     88     23 11     71     16 4     73     8 −1     66     1 −7 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in LaGrange have ranged from a low of 14 °F (−10 °C) in January to a high of 82 °F (28 °C) in July, although a record low of −28 °F (−33 °C) was recorded in December 2000 and a record high of 104 °F (40 °C) was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.76 inches (45 mm) in February to 4.17 inches (106 mm) in June.^[12]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1840	3,664		—
1850	8,387		128.9%
1860	11,366		35.5%
1870	14,148		24.5%
1880	15,630		10.5%
1890	15,615		−0.1%
1900	15,284		−2.1%
1910	15,148		−0.9%
1920	14,009		−7.5%
1930	13,780		−1.6%
1940	14,352		4.2%
1950	15,347		6.9%
1960	17,380		13.2%
1970	20,890		20.2%
1980	25,550		22.3%
1990	29,477		15.4%
2000	34,909		18.4%
2010	37,128		6.4%
2020	40,446		8.9%
2023 (est.)	40,907	[13]	1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[14] 1790–1960[15] 1900–1990[16] 1990–2000[17] 2010–2013[18] 2020[2]

2020 census

LaGrange County, Indiana - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)

Race / Ethnicity	Pop. 2010[19]	Pop. 2020[20]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	35,290	37,834	95.05%	93.54%
Black or African American alone (NH)	109	92	0.29%	0.23%
Asian alone (NH)	118	74	0.32%%	0.18%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	65	50	0.17%	0.12%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	1	1	0.00%	0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	8	33	0.02%	0.08%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	220	629	0.59%	1.55%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	1,317	1,733	3.55%	4.28%
Total	37,128	40,446	100.00%	100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 37,128 people, 11,598 households, and 9,106 families residing in the county.^[21] The population density was 97.8 inhabitants per square mile (37.8/km²). There were 14,094 housing units at an average density of 37.1 per square mile (14.3/km²).^[11] The racial makeup of the county was 96.6% white, 0.3% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.7% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.5% of the population.^[21] In terms of ancestry, 36.1% were German, 13.3% were American, 6.4% were Irish, and 6.4% were English.^[22]

Of the 11,598 households, 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.6% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 21.5% were non-families, and 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 3.17, and the average family size was 3.66. The median age was 30.4 years.^[21]

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $53,793. Males had a median income of $40,960 versus $29,193 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,388. About 12.1% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.5% of those under age 18 and 16.6% of those age 65 or over.^[23]

Amish community

Amish buggy rides are offered in tourist-oriented Shipshewana, Indiana

Approximately 43% of the population of LaGrange County is Amish, as the county is home to the third-largest Amish community in the United States and belongs to the Elkhart-LaGrange Amish affiliation. This is reflected in the linguistic situation in the county: 28.45% of the population report speaking German, Pennsylvania German, or Dutch at home.^[24] 68.5% of the total population and 61.29% of the children in 5-17 age group used English as their home language, according to 2000 Census. The Amish languages (German, Pennsylfaansch, and Dutch) were used by 28.47% of the total population and 35.77% of them.^[25]

As of 2020 census, Terry Martin, president of the LaGrange County Commissioners, said that "the Amish-English ratio is about 50-50", also adding that the nearly 9% growth, or 3,318 people [between 2010 and 2020 censuses], was mainly due to the increasing Amish population.^[2]

Religion

Religion in LaGrange County,according to ARDA (2020) ^{[failed verification]}

  Anabaptist Churches (Amish) (44.7%)

  Evangelical Churches (7.8%)

  Mainline Protestant Churches (5.2%)

  Catholic Church (2.3%)

  Black Protestant Churches (0.7%)

  None* (39.8%)

*"Nones" is an unclear category.^[26][27] It is a heterogenous group of the not religious and intermittently religious.^[28] Researchers argue that most of the "Nones" should be considered "unchurched", rather than objectively nonreligious;^{[27][29][30][31]} especially since most "Nones" do hold some religious-spiritual beliefs and a notable amount participate in behaviors.^{[27][29][32][33]} For example, 72% of American "Nones" believe in God or a Higher Power.^[34]

Communities

Towns

• LaGrange
• Shipshewana
• Topeka
• Wolcottville (partially in Noble County)

Townships

• Bloomfield
• Clay
• Clearspring
• Eden
• Greenfield
• Johnson
• Lima
• Milford
• Newbury
• Springfield
• Van Buren

Census-designated place

• Howe

Other unincorporated communities

• Brighton
• Brushy Prairie
• Eddy
• Elmira
• Emma
• Gravel Beach
• Greenfield Mills
• Greenwood
• Hartzel
• Honeyville
• Indianola
• Lakeside Park
• Lakeview
• Mongo
• Mount Pisgah
• Northwood
• Oak Lodge
• Ontario
• Pashan
• Plato
• Ramblewood
• River Oaks
• Scott
• Seyberts
• Sha-Get Acres
• Shady Nook
• South Milford
• Star Mill
• Stony Creek
• Stroh
• Tall Timbers
• Timberhurst
• Twin Lakes
• Valentine
• Webers Landing
• Witmer Manor
• Woodland Hills
• Woodland Park
• Woodruff

Economy

The economy is based mainly on agriculture and small shops, but tourism also plays a big role, especially in Shipshewana.

Government

The county is led by a board of three elected commissioners that serve as the county government's executive branch. The county council comprises 7 elected members – four from each council district and 3 at large. Also, one assessor serves the entire county as opposed to one for every township.

The current county commissioners are:^[35]

• North District: Terry Martin
• Middle District: Kevin Myers
• South District: Peter Cook

The current county council members are:^[36]

• Charles F. Ashcraft D - District 1
• Ryan Riegsecker R- District 2
• Harold Gingerich R - District 3
• Jim Young R - District 4
• Jeff Brill R - At Large
• Steve McKowen R - At Large
• Mike Strawser R - At Large

LaGrange County is part of Indiana's 3rd congressional district; Indiana Senate district 13;^[37] and Indiana House of Representatives districts 18 and 52.^[38]

LaGrange County has consistently been a Republican Party stronghold in presidential elections. In only three elections since 1888 has a Republican candidate failed to win the county, most recently in 1964.

United States presidential election results for LaGrange County, Indiana^[39]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	8,110	76.14%	2,355	22.11%	187	1.76%
2016	7,025	72.68%	2,080	21.52%	561	5.80%
2012	6,231	66.88%	2,898	31.11%	187	2.01%
2008	5,702	59.80%	3,663	38.42%	170	1.78%
2004	6,430	71.42%	2,523	28.02%	50	0.56%
2000	5,437	65.25%	2,733	32.80%	163	1.96%
1996	4,033	52.11%	2,704	34.94%	1,003	12.96%
1992	3,584	48.15%	2,093	28.12%	1,767	23.74%
1988	4,495	68.67%	2,029	31.00%	22	0.34%
1984	4,772	71.31%	1,884	28.15%	36	0.54%
1980	4,259	62.49%	2,095	30.74%	461	6.76%
1976	3,876	57.24%	2,835	41.86%	61	0.90%
1972	4,152	71.11%	1,658	28.40%	29	0.50%
1968	3,328	61.54%	1,691	31.27%	389	7.19%
1964	2,785	49.38%	2,818	49.96%	37	0.66%
1960	4,433	69.03%	1,965	30.60%	24	0.37%
1956	3,815	70.47%	1,562	28.85%	37	0.68%
1952	3,822	68.80%	1,604	28.87%	129	2.32%
1948	3,106	63.82%	1,628	33.45%	133	2.73%
1944	3,501	68.71%	1,539	30.21%	55	1.08%
1940	3,731	63.43%	2,124	36.11%	27	0.46%
1936	3,125	51.72%	2,821	46.69%	96	1.59%
1932	2,461	42.29%	3,261	56.03%	98	1.68%
1928	3,171	64.40%	1,720	34.93%	33	0.67%
1924	3,081	63.34%	1,566	32.20%	217	4.46%
1920	3,852	68.02%	1,687	29.79%	124	2.19%
1916	1,958	54.09%	1,512	41.77%	150	4.14%
1912	758	21.58%	1,233	35.11%	1,521	43.31%
1908	2,357	60.13%	1,414	36.07%	149	3.80%
1904	2,461	64.61%	1,100	28.88%	248	6.51%
1900	2,329	59.34%	1,431	36.46%	165	4.20%
1896	2,442	58.97%	1,665	40.21%	34	0.82%
1892	2,033	54.59%	1,438	38.61%	253	6.79%
1888	2,262	57.32%	1,516	38.42%	168	4.26%

Education

Prairie Heights High School, just off U.S. Route 20 near the Steuben County line.

The county has three public school districts.

Public schools

The Lakeland Community Schools serve the central part of the county. The system includes Lakeland Primary: Grades (k-2), Lakeland Intermediate: grades (3-6), and Lakeland Jr/Sr High: grades (7-12).

The Prairie Heights School Corporation serves the east side of the county and parts of Steuben County. The mascot of Prairie Heights School is a black panther.

The Westview School Corporation serves the west portion of the county. This system consists of four elementary schools (Meadowview, Shipshewana-Scott, Topeka, and Westview) and one junior-senior high school named Westview.

Private schools

Several Amish schools are located across the county.

Public library

LaGrange County is served by the LaGrange County Public Library, with branches in LaGrange, Shipshewana, and Topeka.^[40]

See also

• List of counties in Indiana
• List of counties in Michigan
• Michiana
• National Register of Historic Places listings in LaGrange County, Indiana
• The News Sun, the daily newspaper covering LaGrange County

References

1. "QuickFacts: LaGrange County, Indiana". Census.gov. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
2. "CENSUS 2020: LaGrange County leads local area in population growth". news.yahoo.com. August 15, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
4. "RV Capital: Elkhart Indiana". Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
5. Welcome to Northern Indiana Amish Country
6. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~inlagran/lghist.html ^{[user-generated source]}
7. "LaGrange County Indiana History and Pioneer Genealogy". Archived from the original on October 18, 2006. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
8. Counties of LaGrange and Noble, Indiana: Historical and Biographical. F.A. Battey & Company. 1882. p. 111.
9. The expansion of New England: the spread of New England settlement and institutions to the Mississippi River, 1620-1865 by Lois Kimball Matthews p. 201
10. De Witt Clinton Goodrich & Charles Richard Tuttle (1875). An Illustrated History of the State of Indiana. Indiana: R. S. Peale & co. pp. 564.
11. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
12. "Monthly Averages for LaGrange, Indiana". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
13. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
14. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
15. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
16. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
17. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
18. "LaGrange County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 6, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
19. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - LaGrange County, Indiana". United States Census Bureau.
20. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - LaGrange County, Indiana". United States Census Bureau.
21. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
22. "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
23. "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
24. "Language Map Data Center".
25. "Data Center Results".
26. Wuthnow, Robert (2015). Inventing American Religion : Polls, Surveys, and the Tenuous Quest for a Nation's Faith. Oxford University Press. pp. 151–155. ISBN 9780190258900.
27. Johnson, Byron; Stark, Rodney; Bradshaw, Matt; Levin, Jeff (2022). "Are Religious "Nones" Really Not Religious?: Revisiting Glenn, Three Decades Later". Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion. 18 (7).
28. Blankholm, Joseph (2022). The Secular Paradox : On the Religiosity of the Not Religious. New York: New York University Press. p. 7. ISBN 9781479809509.
29. Johnson, Todd; Zurlo, Gina (2016). "Unaffiliated, Yet Religious: A Methodological and Demographic Analysis". In Cipriani, Roberto; Garelli, Franco (eds.). Annual Review of the Sociology of Religion: Volume 7: Sociology of Atheism. Leiden: Brill. pp. 58–60. ISBN 9789004317536.
30. Hout, Michael; Fischer, Claude S. (October 13, 2014). "Explaining Why More Americans Have No Religious Preference: Political Backlash and Generational Succession, 1987-2012". Sociological Science. 1: 423–447. doi:10.15195/v1.a24.
31. Hout, Michael (November 2017). "American Religion, All or Nothing at All". Contexts. 16 (4): 78–80. doi:10.1177/1536504217742401. S2CID 67327797.
32. Drescher, Elizabeth (2016). Choosing our Religion: The Spiritual Lives of America's Nones. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 21–26. ISBN 9780199341221. OL 27709180M.
33. Cox, Kiana (March 17, 2021). "Nine-in-ten Black 'nones' believe in God, but fewer pray or attend services". Pew Research Center.
34. "Key findings about Americans' belief in God". Pew Research Center. April 25, 2018.
35. "www.lagrangecounty.org - Commissioner Contact Information". Archived from the original on June 8, 2008. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
36. "County Council".
37. "Indiana Senate Districts". State of Indiana. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
38. "Indiana House Districts". State of Indiana. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
39. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
40. "Homepage". La Grange County Public Library. Retrieved March 8, 2018.

External links

• LaGrange County web site
• LaGrange County Amish Tourism

41°38′30″N 85°25′00″W