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180-477: Parke County lies in the western part of the U.S. state of Indiana along the Wabash River . The county was formed in 1821 out of a portion of Vigo County . According to the 2020 census, the population was 16,156. The county seat is Rockville . It has a population density of about 39 inhabitants per square mile (15/km). The county contains six incorporated towns and many unincorporated communities. It
360-475: A Convair B-58 carrying nuclear weapons slid off an icy runway on Bunker Hill Air Force Base in Bunker Hill, Indiana and caught fire during a training drill. The five nuclear weapons on board were burned, including one 9-megaton thermonuclear weapon , causing radioactive contamination of the crash area. Beginning in 1970, a series of amendments to the state constitution were proposed. With adoption,
540-481: A Hessian garrison at Trenton to hold western New Jersey and the east shore of the Delaware. Desperate for a victory, Washington and his generals devised a surprise attack on Trenton. The army was to cross the Delaware in three divisions: one led by Washington (2,400 troops), another by General James Ewing (700), and the third by Colonel John Cadwalader (1,500). The force was to then split, with Washington taking
720-751: A Treaty of Alliance with the Americans. Congress ratified the treaty in May, which amounted to a French declaration of war against Britain. In May 1778, Howe resigned and was replaced by Sir Henry Clinton . The British evacuated Philadelphia for New York that June and Washington summoned a war council of American and French generals. He chose a partial attack on the retreating British at the Battle of Monmouth . Generals Charles Lee and Lafayette moved with 4,000 men, without Washington's knowledge, and bungled their first attack on June 28. Washington relieved Lee and achieved
900-839: A list of resolutions for the Fairfax County committee, including a call to end the Atlantic slave trade , which were adopted. On August 1, Washington attended the First Virginia Convention . There, he was selected as a delegate to the First Continental Congress . As tensions rose in 1774, he helped train militias in Virginia and organized enforcement of the Continental Association boycott of British goods instituted by
1080-578: A powdered wig ; instead he wore his hair curled, powdered, and tied in a queue in the fashion of the day . Though generally in good physical condition throughout his life, Washington frequently suffered from severe tooth decay and ultimately lost all his teeth but one. He had several sets of false teeth during his presidency. Contrary to common lore, these were not made of wood, but of metal, ivory, bone, animal teeth, and human teeth possibly obtained from slaves. These dental problems left him in constant pain, which he treated with laudanum . Washington
1260-591: A small claims court that can handle some civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court . The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff , coroner , auditor , treasurer , recorder , surveyor and circuit court clerk . Each of these elected officers serves
1440-583: A socialist party . Railroader Eugene Debs of Terre Haute , the Socialist candidate received 901,551 votes (6.0% of the national vote) in the 1912 presidential election. Suffrage movements also arose to enfranchise women. In its earlier years, Indiana was a leader in the automobile boom. Beginning its production in Kokomo in 1896, Haynes-Apperson was the nation's first commercially successful auto company. The importance of vehicle and parts manufacture to
1620-536: A Ph.D. in psychology in 1922; his focus was on personality traits. He began teaching at Harvard in 1924, and published a number of works in the following years. He died in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1967 at the age of 69. William Henry Harrison Beadle was born in a log cabin in Parke County in 1838. His father offered him a farm, but he accepted $ 1,000 for an education instead and studied civil engineering at
1800-741: A Southern invasion against Savannah , reinforced by 2,000 British and Loyalist troops. They repelled an attack by American patriots and French naval forces , which bolstered the British war effort. In June 1778, Iroquois warriors joined with Loyalist rangers led by Walter Butler and killed more than 200 frontiersmen, laying waste to the Wyoming Valley in Northeastern Pennsylvania . In mid-1779, in response to this and other attacks on New England towns, Washington ordered General John Sullivan to lead an expedition to force
1980-442: A bloodless capture of the city; and the Battle of Corydon , which occurred during Morgan's Raid leaving 15 dead, 40 wounded, and 355 captured. After the war, Indiana remained a largely agricultural state. Post-war industries included mining, including limestone extraction; meatpacking; food processing, such as milling grain, distilling it into alcohol; and the building of wagons , buggies , farm machinery, and hardware. However,
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#17327722553162160-515: A chaotic ten-day evacuation aboard 120 ships. Soon after, Washington entered the city with 500 men, with explicit orders not to plunder the city. He refrained from exerting military authority in Boston, leaving civilian matters in the hands of local authorities. After the victory at Boston, Washington correctly guessed that the British would return to New York City , a Loyalist stronghold, and retaliate. He arrived there on April 13, 1776, and ordered
2340-763: A decisive victory over the British in the Revolutionary War , leading the British to sign the Treaty of Paris , which acknowledged the sovereignty and independence of the United States. He resigned his commission in 1783 after the conclusion of the Revolutionary War. Washington played an indispensable role in the drafting of the Constitution, which replaced the Articles of Confederation in 1789. He
2520-592: A draw after an expansive battle. At nightfall, the British continued their retreat to New York, and Washington moved his army outside the city. Monmouth was Washington's last battle in the North. Washington became America's first spymaster by designing an espionage system against the British. In 1778, Major Benjamin Tallmadge formed the Culper Ring at Washington's direction to covertly collect information about
2700-539: A hundred rules for social interaction styled Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation , copied from an English translation of a French book of manners. Washington often visited Mount Vernon and Belvoir , the plantation of William Fairfax , Lawrence's father-in-law. Fairfax became Washington's patron and surrogate father. In 1748, Washington spent a month with a team surveying Fairfax's Shenandoah Valley property. The following year, he received
2880-769: A hundred ships and thousands of troops, began arriving on Staten Island on July 2 to lay siege to the city. After the Declaration of Independence was unanimously adopted on July 4, Washington informed his troops on July 9 that Congress had declared the united colonies to be "free and independent states". Howe's troop strength totaled 32,000 regulars and Hessian auxiliaries , and Washington's consisted of 23,000, mostly raw recruits and militia. In August, Howe landed 20,000 troops at Gravesend, Brooklyn , and approached Washington's fortifications Opposing his generals, Washington chose to fight, based on inaccurate information that Howe's army had only 8,000-plus troops. In
3060-479: A hundred. As a respected military hero and large landowner, Washington held local offices and was elected to the Virginia provincial legislature, representing Frederick County in the House of Burgesses for seven years beginning in 1758. He first ran for the seat in 1755 but was soundly beaten by Hugh West. When he ran in 1758, Washington plied voters with beer, brandy, and other beverages. Despite being away serving on
3240-537: A leading manufacturing state with heavy industry concentrating in the north. In 1906 the United States Steel Corporation created a new industrial city on Lake Michigan, Gary , named after Elbert Henry Gary , its founding chairman. With industrialization, workers developed labor unions (their strike activities induced governor James P. Goodrich to declare martial law in Gary in 1919) and
3420-493: A little less variation across the state, as average high/low temperatures range from around 84 °F/64 °F (29 °C/18 °C) in the far north to 90 °F/69 °F (32 °C/21 °C) in the far south. Indiana's record high temperature was 116 °F (47 °C) set on July 14, 1936, at Collegeville . The record low was −36 °F (−38 °C) on January 19, 1994 at New Whiteland . The growing season typically spans from 155 days in
3600-590: A mile from Trenton, so Washington split his force into two columns, rallying his men: "Soldiers keep by your officers. For God's sake, keep by your officers." The two columns were separated at the Birmingham crossroads. General Greene's column took the upper Ferry Road, led by Washington, and General Sullivan's column advanced on River Road. The Americans marched in sleet and snowfall. Many were shoeless with bloodied feet, and two died of exposure. At sunrise, Washington, aided by Colonel Knox and artillery, led his men in
3780-442: A mile to Lodi before going north and leaving the county. A small portion of a major CSX Transportation railroad line passes through the southwest corner of the county, entering from Clinton to the west, then going south toward Terre Haute. Another CSX line enters the far southeastern corner of the county on its way from Terre Haute to Indianapolis. Historically a rural county with extensive agriculture, today Parke County's economy
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#17327722553163960-638: A number of smaller cities and towns. Indiana is home to professional sports teams, including the NFL 's Indianapolis Colts and the NBA 's Indiana Pacers . The state also hosts several notable competitive events, such as the Indianapolis 500 , held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway . Indiana's name means "Land of the Indians ", or simply "Indian Land". It also stems from Indiana's territorial history. On May 7, 1800,
4140-507: A planter of tobacco and wheat, Washington owned many slaves . He grew to oppose slavery near the end of his lifetime, and provided in his will for the manumission of his slaves. Washington's image is an icon of American culture . He has been memorialized by monuments, a federal holiday , various media depictions , geographical locations including the national capital , the State of Washington , stamps , and currency . In 1976, Washington
4320-435: A population of 335. Montezuma is at the far western edge of the county on U.S. Route 36; its population is 1,022. Finally, Rosedale is near the southern border of the county and has a population of 725. Two United States highways pass through the county. U.S. Route 36 passes east–west through the middle of the county, entering from Putnam County to the east, through Rockville and Montezuma, then into Vermillion County to
4500-537: A portion of Shades State Park , a 3,082-acre (1,247 ha) park about 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of Turkey Run; the majority of Shades is located in Montgomery County. According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 449.98 square miles (1,165.4 km), of which 444.66 square miles (1,151.7 km) (or 98.82%) is land and 5.32 square miles (13.8 km) (or 1.18%) is water. Parke County contains six incorporated settlements. The largest
4680-533: A portion of an estimated 24,000 total river miles within the state. The Wabash River , which is the longest free-flowing river east of the Mississippi River , is the official river of Indiana. At 475 miles (764 kilometers) in length, the river bisects the state from northeast to southwest, forming part of the state's border with Illinois, before converging with the Ohio River . The river has been
4860-674: A proclamation , which promised freedom to slaves if they joined the British. Desperate for manpower by late 1777, Washington relented and overturned his ban. By the end of the war, around one-tenth of Washington's army were blacks. Following the British surrender, Washington sought to enforce terms of the preliminary Treaty of Paris (1783) by reclaiming slaves freed by the British and returning them to servitude. He arranged to make this request to Sir Guy Carleton on May 6, 1783. Instead, Carleton issued 3,000 freedom certificates and all former slaves in New York City were able to leave before
5040-548: A prohibition on public debt, as well as the extension of suffrage to African-Americans. During the American Civil War , Indiana became politically influential and played an important role in the affairs of the nation. Indiana was the first western state to mobilize for the United States in the war, and soldiers from Indiana participated in all the war's major engagements. The state provided 126 infantry regiments, 26 batteries of artillery and 13 regiments of cavalry to
5220-621: A result of disease and lack of food, clothing, and shelter. The British were comfortably quartered in Philadelphia, paying for supplies in pounds sterling , while Washington struggled with a devalued American paper currency . The woodlands were soon exhausted of game. By February, Washington was facing lowered morale and increased desertions among his troops. An internal revolt by his officers, led by Major General Thomas Conway , prompted some members of Congress to consider removing Washington from command. Washington's supporters resisted, and
5400-445: A small force of Virginians and Indian allies to ambush them. During the ambush , French forces were killed outright with muskets and hatchets, including French commander Joseph Coulon de Jumonville , who had been carrying a diplomatic message for the British. The French later found their countrymen dead and scalped, blaming Washington, who had retreated to Fort Necessity. The full Virginia Regiment joined Washington at Fort Necessity
5580-604: A special envoy. He had sent Washington to demand French forces to vacate land that was claimed by the British. Washington was also appointed to make peace with the Iroquois Confederacy , and to gather further intelligence about the French forces. Washington met with Half-King Tanacharison , and other Iroquois chiefs, at Logstown , and gathered information about the numbers and locations of the French forts, as well as intelligence concerning individuals taken prisoner by
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5760-606: A standoff. As Washington headed for Boston, word of his march preceded him, and he was greeted everywhere; gradually, he became a symbol of the Patriot cause. Upon Washington's arrival on July 2, 1775, two weeks after the Battle of Bunker Hill , he set up headquarters in Cambridge . When he went to inspect the army, he found undisciplined militia. After consultation, he initiated Benjamin Franklin 's suggested reforms: drilling
5940-496: A state-funded welfare system to help overwhelmed private charities. During his administration, spending and taxes were both cut drastically in response to the Depression, and the state government was completely reorganized. McNutt ended Prohibition in the state and enacted the state's first income tax. On several occasions, he declared martial law to put an end to worker strikes. World War II helped lift Indiana's economy, as
6120-502: A surprise attack on the unsuspecting Hessians and their commander, Colonel Johann Rall . The Hessians had 22 killed, including Colonel Rall, 83 wounded, and 850 captured with supplies. Washington retreated across the Delaware to Pennsylvania and returned to New Jersey on January 3, 1777, launching an attack on British regulars at Princeton , with 40 Americans killed or wounded and 273 British killed or captured. American Generals Hugh Mercer and John Cadwalader were being driven back by
6300-542: A surrender document in which he unwittingly took responsibility for "assassinating" Jumonville, later blaming the translator for not properly translating it. In the aftermath, Colonel James Innes took command of intercolonial forces, the Virginia Regiment was divided, and Washington was offered a captaincy in one of the newly formed regiments. He refused, however, as it would have been a demotion and instead resigned his commission. The "Jumonville affair" became
6480-610: A surveyor's license from the College of William & Mary . Even though Washington had not served the customary apprenticeship, Thomas Fairfax appointed him surveyor of Culpeper County, Virginia , where he took his oath of office on July 20, 1749. He subsequently familiarized himself with the frontier region, and though he resigned from the job in 1750, he continued to do surveys west of the Blue Ridge Mountains . By 1752, he had bought almost 1,500 acres (600 ha) in
6660-409: 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 be residents of the county. Each of the townships has a trustee who administers rural fire protection and ambulance service, provides poor relief and manages cemetery care, among other duties. The trustee is assisted in these duties by
6840-483: A three-member township board. The trustees and board members are elected to four-year terms. Parke County is part of Indiana's 8th congressional district ; Indiana Senate district 38; and Indiana House of Representatives districts 41, 42 and 44. Parke County is a consistently Republican county in presidential elections, having voted for Democratic Party candidates only four times since 1888, and not at all since Lyndon B. Johnson 's national landslide in 1964. As of
7020-599: A town in the far southern part of Indiana, was named the second capital of the Indiana Territory in May 1813 in order to decrease the threat of Native American raids following the Battle of Tippecanoe. Two years later, a petition for statehood was approved by the territorial general assembly and sent to Congress. An Enabling Act was passed to provide an election of delegates to write a constitution for Indiana . On June 10, 1816, delegates assembled at Corydon to write
7200-575: Is Indianapolis . Indiana was admitted to the Union as the 19th state on December 11, 1816. Various indigenous peoples inhabited what would become Indiana for thousands of years, some of whom the U.S. government expelled between 1800 and 1836. Indiana received its name because the state was largely possessed by native tribes even after it was granted statehood. Since then, settlement patterns in Indiana have reflected regional cultural segmentation present in
7380-419: Is Rockville with a population of about 2,600; located near the center of the county at the intersections of U.S. Routes 36 and 41, it is also the county seat. Bloomingdale is about 5 miles (8.0 km) to the north-northwest of Rockville and has a population of 335. To the north-northeast of Rockville lies Marshall , on Indiana State Road 236; its population is 324. To the southwest of Rockville, Mecca has
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7560-609: Is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States . It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the south and southeast, and the Wabash River and Illinois to the west. Nicknamed "the Hoosier State", Indiana is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 states . Its capital and largest city
7740-623: Is about 760 feet (230 m) above sea level. The highest point in the state is Hoosier Hill in Wayne County at 1,257 feet (383 m) above sea level. The lowest point at 320 feet (98 m) above sea level is in Posey County , where the Wabash River meets the Ohio River . The resulting elevation span , 937 feet (286 m), is the narrowest of any non-coastal U.S. state. Only 2,850 square miles (7,400 km ) have an altitude greater than 1,000 feet (300 m) and this area
7920-602: Is divided into 13 townships which provide local services. Two U.S. Routes and five state highways pass through or into the county, along with one major railroad line. Parke County has 31 covered bridges and is widely referred to as the 'Covered Bridge Capital of the World'. It is the site for the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival which has been held in October each year. Parke County
8100-610: Is easier to conceive, than to describe, the distress of this Family". He canceled all business activity and remained with Martha every night for three months. Washington played a central role before and during the American Revolution. His distrust of the British military had begun when he was passed over for promotion into the Regular Army in 1757. Opposed to taxes imposed by the British Parliament on
8280-659: Is enclosed within 14 counties. About 4,700 square miles (12,000 km ) have an elevation of less than 500 feet (150 m), mostly concentrated along the Ohio and lower Wabash Valleys, from Tell City and Terre Haute to Evansville and Mount Vernon . The state includes two natural regions of the United States: the Central Lowlands and the Interior Low Plateaus . The till plains make up
8460-645: Is in Marion County . Located in the Midwestern United States , Indiana is one of eight states that make up the Great Lakes Region . Indiana is bordered on the north by Michigan , on the east by Ohio , and on the west by Illinois , partially separated by the Wabash River . Lake Michigan borders Indiana on the northwest and the Ohio River separates Indiana from Kentucky on the south. The average altitude of Indiana
8640-607: Is included in the Terre Haute, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area. This area had been occupied for thousands of years by cultures of indigenous peoples . The first European settlement of the western area of Indiana along the Wabash River was by French-Canadian colonists, who founded Vincennes in 1703. After the Seven Years' War , France ceded its territory in North America to Great Britain. In turn, after
8820-772: Is known as a Hoosier . The etymology of this word is disputed, but the leading theory, advanced by the Indiana Historical Bureau and the Indiana Historical Society, has its origin in Virginia, Kentucky, the Carolinas, and Tennessee (the Upland South ) as a term for a backwoodsman, a rough countryman, or a country bumpkin. The first inhabitants in what is now Indiana were the Paleo-Indians , who arrived about 8000 BC after
9000-627: Is supported by a labor force of approximately 8,050 workers. The unemployment rate in November ;2011 was 9.6%. In recent years, average temperatures in Rockville have ranged from a low of 19 °F (−7 °C) in January to a high of 87 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −25 °F (−32 °C) was recorded in January 1994 and a record high of 109 °F (43 °C)
9180-595: Is thought to have rendered him sterile, though it is equally likely that "Martha may have sustained injury during the birth of Patsy, her final child, making additional births impossible." The couple lamented not having any children together. Despite this, the two raised Martha's children John Parke Custis (Jacky) and Martha Parke Custis (Patsy), and later Jacky's two youngest children Eleanor Parke Custis (Nelly) and George Washington Parke Custis (Washy), along with numerous nieces and nephews. The marriage gave Washington control over Martha's one-third dower interest in
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#17327722553169360-467: Is within the drainage area of the Wabash River . North of Rockville, the gently undulating land is glacial till resulting from Wisconsinan glaciation . The Shelbyville moraine divides this from the nearly level Illinoisan till plain in the south part of the county. Turkey Run State Park is located in northern Parke County. It was set aside as one of Indiana's first state parks and consists of 2,382 acres (964 ha) of land. The county also contains
9540-514: The 2010 United States Census , there were 17,339 people, 6,222 households, and 4,389 families residing in the county. The population density was 39.0 inhabitants per square mile (15.1/km). There were 8,085 housing units at an average density of 18.2 per square mile (7.0/km). The racial makeup of the county was 96.1% white, 2.3% black or African American, 0.4% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.2% of
9720-620: The Adena people had elegant burial rituals, featuring log tombs beneath earth mounds. In the middle of the Woodland period, the Hopewell people began to develop long-range trade of goods . Nearing the end of the stage, the people developed highly productive cultivation and adaptation of agriculture, growing such crops as corn and squash . The Woodland period ended around 1000 AD. The Mississippian culture emerged, lasting from 1000 AD until
9900-770: The American Revolutionary War , the Crown ceded this territory east of the Mississippi River to the new United States, including land it did not control, which was occupied by Native American nations. In 1811 the Shawnee chief Tecumseh rallied several tribes to try to expel the European-American settlers from the area. When General William Henry Harrison took an army from Vincennes to the Battle of Tippecanoe in late 1811 to fight with
10080-540: The American Revolutionary War . He then served as president of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, which drafted the current Constitution of the United States . Washington has thus become commonly known as the " Father of his Country ". Washington's first public office, from 1749 to 1750, was as surveyor of Culpeper County in the Colony of Virginia . In 1752, he received military training and
10260-413: The Battle of Long Island , Howe assaulted Washington's flank and inflicted 1,500 Patriot casualties, the British suffering 400. Washington retreated, instructing General William Heath to acquire river craft. On August 30, General William Alexander held off the British and gave cover while the army crossed the East River under darkness to Manhattan without loss of life or materiel, although Alexander
10440-484: The Charles River froze over, Washington was eager to cross and storm Boston, but General Gates and others were opposed to untrained militia striking well-garrisoned fortifications. Instead, he agreed to secure the Dorchester Heights , 100 feet (30 m) above Boston, with Knox's artillery to try to force the British out. On March 9, under cover of darkness, Washington's troops bombarded British ships in Boston harbor. On March 17, 9,000 British troops and Loyalists began
10620-408: The Delaware River into Pennsylvania , where Major General Lee's replacement General John Sullivan joined him with 2,000 more troops. The future of the Continental Army was in doubt due to lack of supplies, a harsh winter, expiring enlistments, and desertions. Washington was disappointed that many New Jersey residents were Loyalists or skeptical about independence. Howe split up his army and posted
10800-478: The Eastern United States ; the state's northernmost tier was settled primarily by people from New England and New York , Central Indiana by migrants from the Mid-Atlantic states and adjacent Ohio, and Southern Indiana by settlers from the Upland South , particularly Kentucky and Tennessee . Indiana has a diverse economy with a gross state product of $ 352.62 billion in 2021. It has several metropolitan areas with populations greater than 100,000 and
10980-511: The Hudson River . Historians Nathaniel Philbrick and Ron Chernow noted possible reasons for Arnold's defection to be his anger at losing promotions to junior officers, or repeated slights from Congress. He was also deeply in debt, profiteering from the war, and disappointed by Washington's lack of support during his eventual court-martial . After repeated requests, Washington agreed to give Arnold command of West Point in August. On September 21, Arnold met André and gave him plans to take over
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#173277225531611160-400: The Hudson River . However, General Howe in British-occupied New York City blundered, taking his army south to Philadelphia rather than up the Hudson River to join Burgoyne near Albany . Washington and Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette rushed to Philadelphia to engage Howe. In the Battle of Brandywine , on September 11, 1777, Howe outmaneuvered Washington and marched unopposed into
11340-451: The Indiana Court of Appeals was created and the procedure of appointing justices on the courts was adjusted. The 1973 oil crisis created a recession that hurt the automotive industry in Indiana. Companies such as Delco Electronics and Delphi began a long series of downsizing that contributed to high unemployment rates in manufacturing in Anderson , Muncie , and Kokomo . The restructuring and deindustrialization trend continued until
11520-421: The Jay Treaty . He set enduring precedents for the office of president , including republicanism , a peaceful transfer of power , the use of the title " Mr. President ", and the two-term tradition . His 1796 farewell address became a preeminent statement on republicanism in which he wrote about the importance of national unity and the dangers that regionalism, partisanship, and foreign influence pose to it. As
11700-413: The Parke County Sentinel. The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana and the Indiana Code . The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms and are responsible for setting salaries,
11880-416: The Pennington Road and General Sullivan traveling south on the river's edge. Washington ordered a 60-mile search for Durham boats to transport his army, and the destruction of vessels that could be used by the British. He personally risked capture while staking out the Jersey shoreline alone leading up to the crossing. Washington crossed the Delaware on Christmas night, 1776. His men followed across
12060-433: The Treaty of Greenville in 1795, Native American titles to Indiana lands were extinguished by usurpation, purchase, or war and treaty. About half the state was acquired in the Treaty of St. Mary's from the Miami in 1818. Purchases were not complete until the Treaty of Mississinewas in 1826 acquired the last of the reserved Native American lands in the northeast. A portrait of the Indiana frontier about 1810: The frontier
12240-410: The Union . In 1861, Indiana was assigned a quota of 7,500 soldiers to join the Union Army . So many volunteered in the first call that thousands had to be turned away. Before the war ended, Indiana had contributed 208,367 men. Casualties were over 35% among these men: 24,416 lost their lives and over 50,000 more were wounded. The only Civil War conflicts fought in Indiana were the Newburgh Raid ,
12420-486: The United States Congress passed legislation to divide the Northwest Territory into two areas and named the western section the Indiana Territory . In 1816, when Congress passed an Enabling Act to begin the process of establishing statehood for Indiana, a part of this territorial land became the geographic area for the new state. Formal use of the word Indiana dates from 1768, when a Philadelphia -based trading company gave its land claim in present-day West Virginia
12600-433: The University of Chicago , studying zoology and ecology and receiving his Ph.D. in 1912. He taught, conducted research, and wrote a number of books; among other accomplishments, he identified what became known as the Allee effect . He died in Gainesville, Florida, in 1955 at age 69. Gordon Allport was born in Montezuma in 1897; when he was six years old, his family moved to Ohio. He attended Harvard University and received
12780-437: The Virginia militia inspired George to seek a commission. Virginia's lieutenant governor, Robert Dinwiddie , appointed Washington as a major and commander of one of the four militia districts. The British and French were competing for control of the Ohio Valley : the British were constructing forts along the Ohio River, and the French between the Ohio River and Lake Erie . In October 1753, Dinwiddie appointed Washington as
12960-522: The Wabash River , to try to control Native American trade routes from Lake Erie to the Mississippi River . In 1732, Sieur de Vincennes built a second fur trading post at Vincennes. French Canadian settlers, who had left the earlier post because of hostilities, returned in larger numbers. In a period of a few years, British colonists arrived from the East and contended against the Canadians for control of
13140-506: The colonies . The tribes in Indiana did not give up: they captured Fort Ouiatenon and Fort Miami during Pontiac's Rebellion . The British royal proclamation of 1763 designated the land west of the Appalachians for Native American use, and excluded British colonists from the area, which the Crown called "Indian Territory". In 1775, the American Revolutionary War began as the colonists sought self-government and independence from
13320-421: The discovery of natural gas in the 1880s in northern Indiana led to an economic boom: the abundant and cheap fuel attracted heavy industry ; the availability of jobs, in turn, attracted new settlers from other parts of the country as well as from Europe. This led to the rapid expansion of cities such as South Bend , Indianapolis, and Fort Wayne . The early decades of the 20th century saw Indiana develop into
13500-560: The 15th century, shortly before the arrival of Europeans. During this stage, the people created large urban settlements designed according to their cosmology , with large mounds and plazas defining ceremonial and public spaces. The concentrated settlements depended on the agricultural surpluses. One such complex was the Angel Mounds . They had large public areas such as plazas and platform mounds, where leaders lived or conducted rituals. Mississippian civilization collapsed in Indiana during
13680-572: The 1760s. Washington imported luxuries and other goods from England, paying for them by exporting tobacco. His profligate spending combined with low tobacco prices left him £1,800 in debt by 1764, prompting him to diversify his holdings. Washington's complete reliance on London tobacco buyer and merchant Robert Cary caused alarm for his own economic security. In 1765, because of erosion and other soil problems, he changed Mount Vernon's primary cash crop from tobacco to wheat and expanded operations to include corn flour milling and fishing. Washington soon
13860-446: The 18,000-acre (7,300 ha) Custis estate , and he managed the remaining two-thirds for Martha's children; the estate also included 84 slaves. As a result, he became one of the wealthiest men in Virginia, which increased his social standing. At Washington's urging, Governor Lord Botetourt fulfilled Dinwiddie's 1754 promise of land bounties to all-volunteer militia during the French and Indian War. In late 1770, Washington inspected
14040-547: The 1930s, Democrats were in power and "the Klan was political poison". During those years, Indiana, like the rest of the nation, was affected by the Great Depression . The economic downturn had a wide-ranging negative impact on Indiana, such as the decline of urbanization. The Dust Bowl to the west led many migrants to flee to the more industrialized Midwest. Governor Paul V. McNutt 's administration struggled to build
14220-403: The 1980s when the national and state economy began to diversify and recover. With a total area (land and water) of 36,418 square miles (94,320 km ), Indiana ranks as the 38th largest state in size. The state has a maximum dimension north to south of 250 miles (400 km) and a maximum east to west dimension of 145 miles (233 km). The state's geographic center (39° 53.7'N, 86° 16.0W)
14400-399: The 2016 update, about half the state is now classified as humid subtropical. Temperatures generally diverge from the north and south sections of the state. In midwinter, average high/low temperatures range from around 30 °F/15 °F (−1 °C/−10 °C) in the far north to 41 °F/24 °F (5 °C/−4 °C) in the far south. In midsummer there is generally
14580-408: The 27-year-old widow of wealthy plantation owner Daniel Parke Custis . The marriage took place at Martha's estate; she was intelligent, gracious, and experienced in managing a planter's estate, and the couple had a happy marriage. They moved to Mount Vernon, near Alexandria , where he lived as a planter of tobacco and wheat, and he emerged as a political figure. Washington's 1751 bout with smallpox
14760-610: The 300-strong Virginia Regiment , with orders to confront French forces at the Forks of the Ohio . Washington set out with half the regiment in April and soon learned a French force of 1,000 had begun construction of Fort Duquesne there. In May, having set up a defensive position at Great Meadows, he learned that the French had made camp seven miles (11 km) away; he decided to take the offensive. The French detachment proved to be only about 50 men, so Washington advanced on May 28 with
14940-634: The Acts were mostly repealed in 1770. Parliament sought to punish Massachusetts colonists for their role in the Boston Tea Party in 1774 by passing the Coercive Acts , which Washington saw as "an invasion of our rights and privileges". He said Americans must not submit to acts of tyranny since "custom and use shall make us as tame and abject slaves, as the blacks we rule over with such arbitrary sway". That July, he and George Mason drafted
15120-529: The British demand to vacate to the French commander Saint-Pierre , but the French refused to leave. Saint-Pierre gave Washington his official answer after a few days' delay, as well as food and winter clothing for his party's journey back to Virginia. Washington completed the precarious mission in 77 days, in difficult winter conditions, achieving a measure of distinction when his report was published in Virginia and London. In February 1754, Dinwiddie promoted Washington to lieutenant colonel and second-in-command of
15300-456: The British in New York. Washington had disregarded incidents of disloyalty by Benedict Arnold , who had distinguished himself in many campaigns, including his invasion of Quebec and the Battle of Saratoga . In 1780, Arnold began supplying British spymaster John André with sensitive information intended to compromise Washington and capture West Point , a key American defensive position on
15480-658: The British strategy of showing overwhelming force followed by offering generous terms, changing the course of the war. In February 1777, word of the American victories reached London, and the British realized the Patriots were in a position to demand unconditional independence. In July 1777, British General John Burgoyne led the Saratoga campaign south from Quebec through Lake Champlain and recaptured Fort Ticonderoga intending to divide New England , including control of
15660-579: The British when Mercer was mortally wounded. Washington arrived and led the men in a counterattack which advanced to within 30 yards (27 m) of the British line. Some British troops retreated after a brief stand, while others took refuge in Nassau Hall , which became the target of Colonel Alexander Hamilton 's cannons. Washington's troops charged, the British surrendered in less than an hour, and 194 soldiers laid down their arms. Howe retreated to New York City where his army remained inactive until early
15840-513: The British. The majority of the fighting took place near the East Coast, but the Patriot military officer George Rogers Clark called for an army to help fight the British in the west. Clark's army won significant battles and took over Vincennes and Fort Sackville on February 25, 1779. During the war, Clark managed to cut off British troops, who were attacking the eastern colonists from
16020-776: The Colonies without proper representation , he and other colonists were also angered by the Royal Proclamation of 1763 which banned American settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains and protected the British fur trade . Washington believed the Stamp Act 1765 was an "Act of Oppression" and celebrated its repeal the following year. In March 1766, Parliament passed the Declaratory Act asserting that Parliamentary law superseded colonial law. In
16200-868: The Congress. The American Revolutionary War broke out on April 19, 1775, with the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the Siege of Boston . Upon hearing the news, Washington was "sobered and dismayed", and he hastily departed Mount Vernon on May 4, 1775, to join the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia . On June 14, 1775, Congress created the Continental Army and John Adams nominated Washington as its commander-in-chief , mainly because of his military experience and
16380-481: The Forbes Expedition, he won the election with roughly 40 percent of the vote, defeating three opponents with the help of local supporters. Early in his legislative career, Washington rarely spoke or even attended legislative sessions. He would later become a prominent critic of Britain's taxation policy and mercantilist policies towards the American colonies and became more politically active starting in
16560-606: The French. Washington was nicknamed Conotocaurius by Tanacharison. The name, meaning "devourer of villages", had been given to his great-grandfather John Washington in the late 17th century by the Susquehannock . Washington's party reached the Ohio River in November 1753, and was intercepted by a French patrol. The party was escorted to Fort Le Boeuf , where Washington was received in a friendly manner. He delivered
16740-485: The Great Depression. With the conclusion of World War II, Indiana rebounded to pre-Depression levels of production. Industry became the primary employer, a trend that continued into the 1960s. Urbanization during the 1950s and 1960s led to substantial growth in the state's cities. The auto, steel and pharmaceutical industries topped Indiana's major businesses. Indiana's population continued to grow after
16920-695: The Indians, Zachariah Cicott served as a scout. Cicott had traded with Indians up and down the Wabash River , starting around 1801. The trail taken by Harrison's army, on its way to and from the battle site in Tippecanoe County, passed through the area that later became Parke County. The settlement of Armiesburg in Wabash Township was so named because Harrison and his army crossed the Raccoon Creek and camped near there on their way to
17100-655: The Iroquois by half. They became unable to survive the harsh winter of 1779–1780; some historians now describe the campaign as a genocide. Washington's troops went into quarters at Morristown, New Jersey for their worst winter of the war, with temperatures well below freezing. New York Harbor was frozen, snow covered the ground for weeks, and the troops again lacked provisions. In January 1780, Clinton assembled 12,500 troops and attacked Charles Town, South Carolina , defeating General Benjamin Lincoln . By June, they occupied
17280-410: The Iroquois out of New York by effecting "the total destruction and devastation" of their villages and taking their women and children hostage. The expedition systematically destroyed Iroquois villages and food stocks, and forced at least 5,036 Iroquois to flee to British Canada. The campaign directly killed a few hundred Iroquois, but according to historian Rhiannon Koehler, the net effect was to reduce
17460-530: The Klan sought exclude from public life " Bolsheviks , Catholics , Jews , Negroes , bootleggers , pacifists , evolutionists , foreigners, and all persons it considered immoral". By 1925 the Klan had 250,000 members, an estimated 30% of native-born white men. By 1925 over half the elected members of the Indiana General Assembly , the governor of Indiana , and many other high-ranking officials in local and state government were members of
17640-521: The Klan. Politicians had also learned they needed Klan endorsement to win office. That year, "Grand Dragon" D.C. Stephenson , who had begun to brag "I am the law in Indiana", was charged and convicted for the rape and murder of Madge Oberholtzer , a young schoolteacher. Denied pardon, in 1927 Stephenson gave the Indianapolis Times lists of people the Klan had paid. Partly as a result of compounded scandal, membership collapsed. Throughout
17820-598: The Northern Tier of New York and New England, as well as from the mid-Atlantic state of Pennsylvania. The arrival of steamboats on the Ohio River in 1811, and the National Road at Richmond in 1829, greatly facilitated settlement of northern and western Indiana. Following statehood, the new government worked to transform Indiana from a frontier into a developed, well-populated, and thriving state, beginning significant demographic and economic changes. In 1836,
18000-704: The Northwest Territory, designating the rest of the land as the Indiana Territory . President Thomas Jefferson chose William Henry Harrison as the governor of the territory, and Vincennes was established as the capital. After the Michigan Territory was separated and the Illinois Territory was formed, Indiana was reduced to its current size and geography. Starting with the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794 and
18180-594: The Ohio River, the Quaker Colony in Richmond on the eastern border, and Conner's Post (later Connersville) on the east central frontier. Indianapolis would not be populated for 15 more years, and central and northern Indiana Territory remained wilderness populated primarily by Indigenous communities. Only two counties in the extreme southeast, Clark and Dearborn, had been organized by European settlers. Land titles issued out of Cincinnati were sparse. Settler migration
18360-963: The South Carolina Piedmont . Clinton returned to New York and left 8,000 troops under the command of General Charles Cornwallis . Congress replaced Lincoln with Horatio Gates; after his defeat in the Battle of Camden , Gates was replaced by Nathanael Greene, Washington's initial choice, but the British had firm control of the South. Washington was reinvigorated, however, when Lafayette returned from France with more ships, men, and supplies, and 5,000 veteran French troops led by Marshal Rochambeau arrived at Newport, Rhode Island in July 1780. French naval forces then landed, led by Admiral de Grasse . Washington's army went into winter quarters at New Windsor, New York in December 1780; he urged Congress and state officials to expedite provisions so
18540-404: The U.S. gained victory at the Battle of Tippecanoe on November 7, 1811. Tecumseh was killed in 1813 during the Battle of Thames . After his death, armed resistance to United States control ended in the region. Most Native American tribes in the state were later removed to west of the Mississippi River in the 1820s and 1830s after U.S. negotiations and the purchase of their lands. Corydon ,
18720-671: The University of Michigan. He fought in the Civil War on the side of the Union and became a brigadier general. After the war, he was named surveyor-general of the Dakota Territory. Later he became president of the Madison State Normal School (now Dakota State University ), then taught geography there after his presidency. He died in 1915 at the age of 77. Baseball great Mordecai Brown was born in
18900-576: The Valley and owned 2,315 acres (937 ha). In 1751, Washington left mainland North America for the first and only time, when he accompanied Lawrence to Barbados , hoping the climate would cure his brother's tuberculosis. Washington contracted smallpox during that trip, which left his face slightly scarred. Lawrence died in 1752, and Washington leased Mount Vernon from his widow Anne; he inherited it outright after her death in 1761. Throughout his life Washington generally had good physical health and
19080-544: The advice of Generals Greene and Putnam to defend Fort Washington . They were unable to hold it; Washington abandoned the fort and ordered his army north to the White Plains . Howe's pursuit forced Washington to retreat across the Hudson River to Fort Lee to avoid encirclement. Howe landed his troops on Manhattan in November and captured Fort Washington , inflicting high casualties on the Americans. Washington
19260-453: 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. In 2010, the county budgeted approximately $ 2.2 million for the district's schools and $ 2.8 million for other county operations and services, for a total annual budget of approximately $ 5 million. The executive body of
19440-570: The army would not "continue to struggle under the same difficulties they have hitherto endured". On March 1, 1781, Congress ratified the Articles of Confederation , but the government that took effect on March 2 did not have the power to levy taxes, and it loosely held the states together. General Clinton sent Benedict Arnold, now a British Brigadier General with 1,700 troops, to Virginia to capture Portsmouth and conduct raids on Patriot forces; Washington responded by sending Lafayette south to counter Arnold's efforts. Washington initially hoped to bring
19620-450: The army's supply lines by reorganizing the commissary department. By late February, supplies began arriving. Meanwhile, Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben 's incessant drilling transformed Washington's recruits into a disciplined fighting force by the end of winter camp. For his services, Washington promoted Von Steuben to Major General and made him chief of staff. In early 1778, the French responded to Burgoyne's defeat and entered into
19800-494: The battle. Formed on January 9, 1821, from a portion of Vigo County , Parke County was formed by an act approved by the state legislature. It was named for Captain Benjamin Parke , who commanded a troop of light Dragoons at the Battle of Tippecanoe . Parke was elected as a delegate of Indiana Territory to the U.S. Congress . In 1821, he was appointed as U.S. District Judge for Indiana. First located at Roseville,
19980-490: The belief that a Virginian would better unite the colonies. He was unanimously elected by Congress the next day. Washington appeared before Congress in uniform and gave an acceptance speech on June 16, declining a salary, though he was later reimbursed expenses. Washington was commissioned on June 19 and officially appointed by Congress as "General & Commander in chief of the army of the United Colonies and of all
20160-457: The city was evacuated by the British in late November 1783. Early in 1775, in response to the growing rebellious movement, London sent British troops to occupy Boston , led by General Thomas Gage , commander of British forces in America. They set up fortifications, making the city impervious to attack. Local militias surrounded the city and effectively trapped the British troops, resulting in
20340-639: The combined forces of the Continental Army commanded by Washington, the French Army commanded by General Comte de Rochambeau, and the French Navy commanded by Admiral de Grasse. On August 19, the march to Yorktown led by Washington and Rochambeau began, which is known now as the " celebrated march ". Washington was in command of an army of 7,800 Frenchmen, 3,100 militia, and 8,000 Continentals. Inexperienced in siege warfare, he often deferred to
20520-513: The commanders positioned under Arnold at key points around the fort to prevent any complicity. He assumed personal command at West Point and reorganized its defenses. André's trial for espionage ended in a death sentence, and Washington offered to return him to the British in exchange for Arnold, but Clinton refused. André was hanged on October 2, 1780, despite his request for a firing squad, to deter other spies. In late 1778, General Clinton shipped 3,000 troops from New York to Georgia and launched
20700-651: The constitution, which was completed in 19 days. Jonathan Jennings was elected the fledgling state's first governor in August 1816. President James Madison approved Indiana's admission into the union as the nineteenth state on December 11, 1816. In 1825, the state capital was moved from Corydon to Indianapolis . Many European immigrants went west to settle in Indiana in the early 19th century. The largest immigrant group to settle in Indiana were Germans , as well as many immigrants from Ireland and England . Americans who were primarily ethnically English migrated from
20880-540: The construction of fortifications to thwart the expected British attack. He also ordered his occupying forces to treat civilians and their property with respect, to avoid the abuses Bostonians suffered at the hands of British troops. Howe transported his resupplied army, with the British fleet, from Halifax to New York City . George Germain , who ran the British war effort in England, believed it could be won with one "decisive blow". The British forces, including more than
21060-401: 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 day-to-day functions of the county government. The county maintains
21240-412: The county seat was relocated to Armiesburg. In 1822, the county settled on Rockville as the permanent location. The state act had called for construction of county buildings to start within one year of the county's formation; but in the event, it did not start until 1824. The first courthouse was completed on the Rockville town square in 1826. The log structure doubled as a church. In 1832 the log building
21420-440: The courthouse at Rockville was completed in 1882 at a cost of about $ 79,000. Items deposited in the cornerstone included documents of the town's history, postage stamps, several varieties of grain grown in the county, coins, and photographs. A dedication ceremony took place on February 22, 1882, the anniversary of George Washington 's birthday. The clock and bell were added later at a cost of about $ 1,500. The Wabash and Erie Canal
21600-466: The east; Clay County to the south; and Vigo County to the southwest. The county's western border is defined by the Wabash River; on the west side of the river lies Vermillion County , beyond which is the state of Illinois , less than 5 miles (8.0 km) from Parke County's northwestern corner. The state capital of Indianapolis lies about 60 miles (97 km) to the east. The entire county
21780-436: The engagement, he had two horses shot from under him, and his hat and coat were bullet-pierced. His conduct under fire redeemed his reputation among critics of his command in the Battle of Fort Necessity, but he was not included by the succeeding commander (Colonel Thomas Dunbar) in planning subsequent operations. The Virginia Regiment was reconstituted in August 1755, and Dinwiddie appointed Washington its commander, again with
21960-419: The fight to New York, drawing off British forces from Virginia and ending the war there, but Rochambeau advised him that Cornwallis in Virginia was the better target. De Grasse's fleet arrived off the Virginia coast, cutting off British retreat. Seeing the advantage, Washington made a feint towards Clinton in New York, then headed south to Virginia. The siege of Yorktown in October 1781 was a decisive victory by
22140-608: The following month with news that he had been promoted to command of the regiment and colonel upon the regimental commander's death. The regiment was reinforced by an independent company of a hundred South Carolinians led by Captain James Mackay ; his royal commission outranked Washington's and a conflict of command ensued. On July 3, a French force attacked with 900 men, and the ensuing battle ended in Washington's surrender. Washington did not speak French, however, he signed
22320-434: The forces raised or to be raised by them". He was instructed to take charge of the Siege of Boston on June 22, 1775. Congress chose his primary staff officers, including Major General Artemas Ward , Adjutant General Horatio Gates , Major General Charles Lee , Major General Philip Schuyler , and Major General Nathanael Greene . Henry Knox , a young bookkeeper, impressed Adams and Washington with ordnance knowledge and
22500-546: The formal education his elder half-brothers received at Appleby Grammar School in England, but he did attend the Lower Church School in Hartfield . He learned mathematics, including trigonometry , and land surveying , and became a talented draftsman and mapmaker . By early adulthood, he was writing with "considerable force" and "precision". As a teenager, to practice his penmanship, Washington compiled over
22680-403: The garrison. While returning to British lines, André was captured by militia who discovered the plans; upon hearing the news of André's capture on September 24, while waiting to greet and have breakfast with Washington, Arnold immediately fled to HMS Vulture , the ship that had brought André to West Point, and escaped to New York. Upon being told about Arnold's treason, Washington recalled
22860-538: The ice-obstructed river from McConkey's Ferry , with 40 men per vessel. The wind churned up the waters, and they were pelted with hail, but by 3:00 a.m. on December 26, they made it across with no losses. Knox was delayed, managing frightened horses and about 18 field guns on flat-bottomed ferries. Cadwalader and Ewing failed to cross due to the ice and heavy currents. Once Knox arrived, Washington proceeded to Trenton, rather than risk being spotted returning his army to Pennsylvania. The troops spotted Hessian positions
23040-558: The incident which ignited the French and Indian War , later to become part of the Seven Years' War . In 1755, Washington served voluntarily as an aide to General Edward Braddock , who led a British expedition to expel the French from Fort Duquesne and the Ohio Country . On Washington's recommendation, Braddock split the army into one main column and a lightly equipped "flying column". Suffering from severe dysentery , Washington
23220-540: The lands in the Ohio and Great Kanawha regions, and he engaged surveyor William Crawford to subdivide it. Crawford allotted 23,200 acres (9,400 ha) to Washington; Washington told the veterans that their land was hilly and unsuitable for farming, and he agreed to purchase 20,147 acres (8,153 ha), leaving some feeling they had been duped. He also doubled the size of Mount Vernon to 6,500 acres (2,600 ha) and, by 1775, had increased its slave population by more than
23400-576: The late 1760s, the interference of the British Crown in American lucrative western land speculation spurred the American Revolution. Washington was a prosperous land speculator, and in 1767, he encouraged "adventures" to acquire backcountry western lands. Washington helped lead widespread protests against the Townshend Acts passed by Parliament in 1767, and he introduced a proposal in May 1769 which urged Virginians to boycott British goods;
23580-426: The latter part of the period, they built earthwork mounds and middens , which showed settlements were becoming more permanent. The Archaic period ended at about 1500 BC, although some Archaic people lived until 700 BC. The Woodland period began around 1500 BC when new cultural attributes appeared. The people created ceramics and pottery and extended their cultivation of plants. An early Woodland period group named
23760-498: The lucrative fur trade. Fighting between the French and British colonists occurred throughout the 1750s as a result. The Native American tribes of Indiana sided with the French Canadians during the French and Indian War (also known as the Seven Years' War ). With British victory in 1763, the French were forced to cede to the British crown all their lands in North America east of the Mississippi River and north and west of
23940-528: The matter of Dagworthy; Loudoun humiliated Washington, refused him a royal commission and agreed only to relieve him of the responsibility of manning Fort Cumberland. In 1758, the Virginia Regiment was assigned to the British Forbes Expedition to capture Fort Duquesne. Washington disagreed with General John Forbes' tactics and chosen route. Forbes nevertheless made Washington a brevet brigadier general and gave him command of one of
24120-545: The matter was dropped after much deliberation. Once the plot was exposed, Conway wrote an apology to Washington, resigned, and returned to France. Washington made repeated petitions to Congress for provisions. He received a congressional delegation to check the Army's conditions and expressed the urgency of the situation, proclaiming: "Something must be done. Important alterations must be made." He recommended that Congress expedite supplies, and Congress agreed to strengthen and fund
24300-769: The melting of the glaciers at the end of the Ice Age . Divided into small groups, the Paleo-Indians were nomads who hunted large game such as mastodons . They created stone tools made out of chert by chipping, knapping and flaking . The Archaic period , which began between 5000 and 4000 BC, covered the next phase of indigenous culture. The people developed new tools as well as techniques to cook food, an important step in civilization. These new tools included different types of spear points and knives, with various forms of notches . They made ground-stone tools such as stone axes, woodworking tools and grinding stones. During
24480-613: The mid-15th century for reasons that remain unclear. The historic Native American tribes in the area at the time of European encounter spoke different languages of the Algonquian family. They included the Shawnee , Miami , and Illini . Refugee tribes from eastern regions, including the Delaware who settled in the White and Whitewater River Valleys, later joined them. In 1679, French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle
24660-612: The name "Indiana" in honor of its previous owners, the Iroquois . Later, ownership of the claim was transferred to the Indiana Land Company , the first recorded use of the word Indiana . But the Virginia colony argued that it was the rightful owner of the land because it fell within its geographic boundaries. The U.S. Supreme Court denied the land company's right to the claim in 1798. A native or resident of Indiana
24840-429: The nation's capital at Philadelphia. A Patriot attack failed against the British at Germantown in October. In Upstate New York , the Patriots were led by General Horatio Gates . Concerned about Burgoyne's movements southward, Washington sent reinforcements north with Generals Benedict Arnold , his most aggressive field commander, and Benjamin Lincoln . On October 7, 1777, Burgoyne tried to take Bemis Heights but
25020-643: The next year. Washington took up winter headquarters in Jacob Arnold's Tavern in Morristown, New Jersey , while he received munition from the Hibernia mines . While in Morristown, Washington's troops disrupted British supply lines and expelled them from parts of New Jersey. During his stay in Morristown, Washington ordered the inoculation of Continental troops against smallpox. This went against
25200-437: The north to 185 days in the south. George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14 , 1799) was a Founding Father of the United States , military officer, and farmer who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Second Continental Congress as commander of the Continental Army in 1775, Washington led Patriot forces to victory in
25380-409: The northern and central regions of Indiana. Much of its appearance is a result of elements left behind by glaciers . Central Indiana is mainly flat with some low rolling hills (except where rivers cut deep valleys through the plain, like at the Wabash River and Sugar Creek) and soil composed of glacial sands, gravel and clay, which results in exceptional farmland. Northern Indiana is similar, except for
25560-424: The population. In terms of ancestry, 27.7% were American , 23.7% were German , 10.7% were Irish , and 10.1% were English . Of the 6,222 households, 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.5% were non-families, and 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size
25740-571: The presence of higher and hillier terminal moraines and hundreds of kettle lakes . In northwest Indiana there are various sand ridges and dunes, some reaching nearly 200 feet in height; most of them are at Indiana Dunes National Park . These are along the Lake Michigan shoreline and also inland to the Kankakee Outwash Plain . Southern Indiana is characterized by valleys and rugged, hilly terrain, contrasting with much of
25920-492: The professionalism of the regiment as it grew from 300 to 1,000 men, and Virginia's frontier population suffered less than other colonies. Though he failed to realize a royal commission, he gained self-confidence, leadership skills, and knowledge of British military tactics. The destructive competition Washington witnessed among colonial politicians fostered his later support of a strong central government. On January 6, 1759, Washington, at age 26, married Martha Dandridge Custis ,
26100-710: The rank of colonel. Washington clashed over seniority almost immediately, this time with John Dagworthy , another captain of superior royal rank, who commanded a detachment of Marylanders at the regiment's headquarters in Fort Cumberland . Washington, impatient for an offensive against Fort Duquesne, was convinced Braddock would have granted him a royal commission and pressed his case in February 1756 with Braddock's successor as Commander-in-Chief , William Shirley , and again in January 1757 with Shirley's successor, Lord Loudoun . Shirley ruled in Washington's favor only in
26280-713: The soldiers and imposing strict discipline. Washington ordered his officers to identify the skills of recruits to ensure military effectiveness, while removing incompetent officers. He petitioned Gage, his former superior, to release captured Patriot officers from prison and treat them humanely. In October 1775, King George III declared that the colonies were in open rebellion and relieved Gage of command for incompetence, replacing him with General William Howe . The Continental Army, reduced to only 9,600 men by January 1776 due to expiring short-term enlistments, had to be supplemented with militia. Soon, they were joined by Knox with heavy artillery captured from Fort Ticonderoga . When
26460-422: The south and runs north through the eastern part of the county until it terminates at Indiana State Road 236 , which runs east from U.S. Route 41. Indiana State Road 163 runs for less than a mile in Parke County, crossing the river at Clinton and terminating at U.S. Route 41 in the far southwest corner of the county. In the far northwestern corner, Indiana State Road 234 enters from Cayuga and runs for less than
26640-644: The state was symbolized by the construction in 1909 of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway . In the 1920s, state politics was heavily influenced by the rise of the Indiana Klan . First organized in 1915 as a branch of the Ku Klux Klan , it appealed to white Protestants alarmed by social and economic trends, including changes induced by immigration from southern and central Europe. In the name of defending "hundred-per-cent Americanism",
26820-428: The state's founders initiated a program, the Indiana Mammoth Internal Improvement Act , that led to the construction of roads, canals , railroads and state-funded public schools. The plans bankrupted the state and were a financial disaster, but increased land and produce value more than fourfold. In response to the crisis and in order to avert another, in 1851, a second constitution was adopted. Among its provisions were
27000-497: The state, reaches depths at nearly 120 feet (37 m), while Lake Wawasee is the largest natural lake in Indiana. At 10,750 acres (summer pool level), Monroe Lake is the largest lake in Indiana. In the past, almost all of Indiana had a humid continental climate ( Dfb ), with cold winters and hot, wet summers; only the extreme southern portion of the state lay within the humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ), which receives more precipitation than other parts of Indiana. But as of
27180-431: The state. Here, bedrock is exposed at the surface. Because of the prevalent Indiana limestone , the area has many caves, caverns, and quarries. Major river systems in Indiana include the Whitewater, White, Blue, Wabash, St. Joseph, and Maumee rivers. According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, as of 2007, there were 65 rivers, streams, and creeks of environmental interest or scenic beauty, which included only
27360-414: The subject of several songs, such as " On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away ", " Wabash Cannonball ", and " Back Home Again in Indiana ". There are about 900 lakes listed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. To the northwest, Indiana borders Lake Michigan , one of five lakes comprising the Great Lakes , the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world. Tippecanoe Lake , the deepest lake in
27540-443: The three brigades that would assault the fort. The French had abandoned the fort and the valley before the assault, however, and Washington only saw a friendly fire incident which left 14 dead and 26 injured. Frustrated, he resigned his commission soon afterwards and returned to Mount Vernon. Under Washington, the Virginia Regiment had defended 300 miles (480 km) of frontier against twenty Indian attacks in ten months. He increased
27720-470: The unincorporated town of Nyesville in Parke County on October 19, 1876. He lost parts of two fingers on his right hand in a farm machinery accident, hence his later nickname "Three Finger". He was also called "Miner" because he had worked in coal mines in western Indiana before his baseball career. He began in the minor leagues in Terre Haute in 1901 and joined the major leagues in 1903, retiring in 1916. He died in Terre Haute in 1948 at age 71. Grover Jones
27900-400: The war required steel, food and other goods the state produced. Roughly 10% of Indiana's population joined the armed forces, while hundreds of industries earned war production contracts and began making war material. Indiana manufactured 4.5% of total U.S. military armaments during World War II, ranking eighth among the 48 states. The expansion of industry to meet war demands helped end
28080-462: The war, exceeding five million by the 1970 census. In the 1960s the administration of Matthew E. Welsh adopted its first sales tax of 2%. Indiana schools were desegregated in 1949. In 1950, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Indiana's population as 95.5% white and 4.4% black. Governor Welsh also worked with the General Assembly to pass the Indiana Civil Rights Bill, granting equal protection to minorities in seeking employment. On December 8, 1964,
28260-417: The west. U.S. Route 41 enters from Fountain County to the north and intersects U.S. Route 36 in Rockville; it goes southwest toward Clinton before continuing south to Vigo County and Terre Haute, Indiana . Indiana State Road 47 begins at U.S. Route 41 in the northern part of the county and goes east into Montgomery County, veering north to Crawfordsville. Indiana State Road 59 enters from Clay County to
28440-437: The west. His success is often credited for changing the course of the American Revolutionary War. At the end of the war, through the Treaty of Paris , the British crown ceded their claims to the land south of the Great Lakes to the newly formed United States, including Native American lands. In 1787, the U.S. defined the Northwest Territory which included the area of present-day Indiana. In 1800, Congress separated Ohio from
28620-634: The wishes of the Continental Congress who had issued a proclamation prohibiting it, but Washington feared the spread of smallpox in the army. The mass inoculation proved successful, with only isolated infections occurring and no regiments incapacitated by the disease. The British still controlled New York, and many Patriot soldiers did not re-enlist or deserted after the harsh winter campaign. Congress instituted greater rewards for re-enlisting and punishments for desertion to effect greater troop numbers. Strategically, Washington's victories at Trenton and Princeton were pivotal; they revived Patriot morale and quashed
28800-659: Was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age was 41.3 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 47,697 and the median income for a family was $ 51,581. Males had a median income of $ 40,395 versus $ 27,618 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 19,494. About 8.8% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line , including 26.9% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over. 39°47′N 87°13′W / 39.78°N 87.21°W / 39.78; -87.21 Indiana Indiana ( / ˌ ɪ n d i ˈ æ n ə / IN -dee- AN -ə )
28980-460: Was a justice of the peace and a prominent public figure who had four additional children from his first marriage to Jane Butler. The family moved to Little Hunting Creek in 1734 before eventually settling in Ferry Farm near Fredericksburg, Virginia . When Augustine died in 1743, Washington inherited Ferry Farm and ten slaves; his older half-brother Lawrence inherited Little Hunting Creek and renamed it Mount Vernon . Washington did not have
29160-497: Was a talented equestrian, with Thomas Jefferson describing him as "the best horseman of his age". He collected thoroughbreds at Mount Vernon, his two favorite horses being Blueskin and Nelson . He enjoyed hunting foxes, deer, ducks, and other game. He was an excellent dancer and frequently attended the theater. He drank alcohol in moderation but was morally opposed to excessive drinking, smoking tobacco, gambling, and profanity. Lawrence Washington's service as adjutant general of
29340-467: Was born in Rosedale in 1893 and grew up in the Terre Haute area. He became a short story writer, screenwriter, and film director, writing for over 100 films. He died in Hollywood, California, in 1940 at age 46. Knute Cauldwell was born in Parke County and played in the early years of the National Football League . The county's first newspaper was called The Wabash Herald and was published beginning in 1829. After being sold and renamed several times, it
29520-436: Was captured. Howe was emboldened by his Long Island victory and dispatched Washington as "George Washington, Esq." in futility to negotiate peace. Washington declined, demanding to be addressed with diplomatic protocol, as general and fellow belligerent, not as a "rebel", lest his men be hanged as such if captured. The Royal Navy bombarded the unstable earthworks on lower Manhattan Island. Despite misgivings, Washington heeded
29700-427: Was chiefly via flatboat on the Ohio River westerly, and by wagon trails up the Wabash/White River Valleys (west) and Whitewater River Valleys (east). In 1810, the Shawnee tribal chief Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa encouraged other indigenous tribes in the territory to resist European settlement. Tensions rose and the U.S. authorized Harrison to launch a preemptive expedition against Tecumseh's Confederacy ;
29880-415: Was completed through the area around 1850 and ran through Parke County on the east side of the Wabash River . It served several communities along the banks of the river until it was discontinued in the 1870s. Parke County lies in western Indiana about halfway between the state's north and south borders. It is bordered by Fountain County to the north; Montgomery County to the northeast; Putnam County to
30060-518: Was counted among the political and social elite in Virginia. From 1768 to 1775, he invited some 2,000 guests to Mount Vernon, mostly those whom he considered people of rank, and was known to be exceptionally cordial toward guests. Washington also took time for leisure with fox hunting, fishing, dances, theater, cards, backgammon, and billiards. Washington's stepdaughter Patsy suffered from epileptic attacks from age 12, and she died at Mount Vernon in 1773. The following day, he wrote to Burwell Bassett : "It
30240-482: Was defined by the Treaty of Fort Wayne in 1809, adding much of the southwestern lands around Vincennes and southeastern lands adjacent to Cincinnati, to areas along the Ohio River as part of U.S. territory. Settlements were military outposts such as Fort Ouiatenon in the northwest and Fort Miami (later Fort Wayne) in the northeast, Fort Knox and Vincennes settlement on the lower Wabash. Other settlements included Clarksville (across from Louisville), Vevay, and Corydon along
30420-438: Was granted the rank of major in the Virginia Regiment . During the French and Indian War , Washington was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1754 and subsequently became head of the Virginia Regiment in 1755. He was later elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses and was named a delegate to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, which appointed him commander-in-chief of the Continental Army . Washington led American forces to
30600-636: Was isolated from support by Howe. He was forced to retreat to Saratoga and ultimately surrendered after the Battles of Saratoga . As Washington suspected, Gates' victory emboldened his critics. Biographer John Alden maintains, "It was inevitable that the defeats of Washington's forces and the concurrent victory of the forces in upper New York should be compared." Admiration for Washington was waning, including little credit from John Adams. Washington and his Continental Army of 11,000 men went into winter quarters at Valley Forge north of Philadelphia in December 1777. There they lost between 2,000 and 3,000 men as
30780-418: Was left behind, and when he rejoined Braddock at Monongahela the French and their Indian allies ambushed the divided army. Two-thirds of the British force became casualties, including the mortally wounded Braddock. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Gage , Washington, still very ill, rallied the survivors and formed a rear guard, allowing the remnants of the force to disengage and retreat. During
30960-417: Was posthumously promoted to the rank of general of the Armies , the highest rank in the U.S. Army . Washington consistently ranks in both popular and scholarly polls as one of the greatest presidents in American history. George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, at Popes Creek in Westmoreland County, Virginia . He was the first of six children of Augustine and Mary Ball Washington . His father
31140-406: Was recorded in July 1936. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.25 inches (57 mm) in February to 4.89 inches (124 mm) in July. From 1950 through 2009, eight tornadoes were reported in Parke County; none resulted in any deaths or injuries, but the total estimated property damage was over $ 280,000. Warder Clyde Allee was born in Bloomingdale in 1885. He attended Earlham College and
31320-507: Was replaced by a brick structure, which served for more than 40 years until 1879, when it was demolished for replacement by a new stone courthouse. The architects for this building were Thomas J. Tolan and his son Brentwood of Fort Wayne ; they designed seven Indiana courthouses, as well as two in Ohio, and one each in Iowa and Illinois. (The firm also designed the Rockville sheriff's resident and jail, as well as others in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa and Tennessee). Construction of
31500-429: Was responsible for delaying the retreat, though he blamed Congress and General Greene. Loyalists in New York City considered Howe a liberator and spread a rumor that Washington had set fire to the city. Patriot morale reached its lowest when Lee was captured. Now reduced to 5,400 troops, Washington's army retreated through New Jersey , and Howe broke off pursuit to set up winter quarters in New York. Washington crossed
31680-498: Was somewhat reserved in personality, but was known for having a strong presence. He made speeches and announcements when required, but he was not a noted orator nor debater. He was taller than most of his contemporaries; accounts of his height vary from 6 ft (1.83 m) to 6 ft 3.5 in (1.92 m) tall, he weighed between 210–220 pounds (95–100 kg) as an adult, and was known for his great strength. He had grey-blue eyes and long reddish-brown hair. He did not wear
31860-428: Was subsequently promoted to colonel and chief of artillery. Similarly, Washington was impressed by Alexander Hamilton 's intelligence and bravery. He would later promote him to colonel and appoint him his aide-de-camp . Washington initially banned the enlistment of blacks, both free and enslaved, into the Continental Army. The British saw an opportunity to divide the colonies, and the colonial governor of Virginia issued
32040-441: Was successively called The Rockville Intelligencer , The Olive Branch , The Parke County Whig and The Rockville Republican . Several other papers came and went; as of 1912, several newspapers were published in the county: the Republican , the Tribune , the Montezuma Enterprise , and the Bloomingdale World , as well as papers printed in Rosedale and Marshall. The original Wabash Herald continues and since 1977 has been called
32220-553: Was the first European to cross into Indiana after reaching present-day South Bend at the St. Joseph River . He returned the following year to learn about the region. French-Canadian fur traders soon arrived, bringing blankets, jewelry, tools, whiskey and weapons to trade for skins with the Native Americans. By 1702, Sieur Juchereau established the first trading post near Vincennes . In 1715, Sieur de Vincennes built Fort Miami at Kekionga , now Fort Wayne . In 1717, another Canadian, Picote de Beletre , built Fort Ouiatenon on
32400-415: Was then twice elected president unanimously by the Electoral College in 1788 and 1792. As the first U.S. president, Washington implemented a strong, well-financed national government while remaining impartial in a fierce rivalry that emerged between cabinet members Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton . During the French Revolution , he proclaimed a policy of neutrality while additionally sanctioning
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