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33-741: Vigo County was formed in 1818 by the Indiana General Assembly and construction of the county's first courthouse began that year. In the meantime, the temporary courthouse was the Eagle and Lion Tavern on the corner of Wabash Avenue and Second Street. Early records show that on May 13, 1818, Nathaniel P. Huntington was allowed $ 10 for drawing up bonds; John M. Coleman $ 350 in part pay for building foundations; William Durham $ 400 in part pay for building walls, and Elihu Hovey and John Brocklebank $ 300 in part pay for building Court House. In November 1818, public records show that Charles B. Modesitt

66-706: A small claims court that handles 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 also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court . The county has other elected offices, including sheriff , coroner , auditor , treasurer , recorder , surveyor , and circuit court clerk . These officers are elected to four-year terms. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of

99-629: A low of 18 °F (−8 °C) in January to a high of 87 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −24 °F (−31 °C) was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of 104 °F (40 °C) was recorded in September 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.13 inches (54 mm) in January to 4.46 inches (113 mm) in May. The county government is a constitutional body, and

132-436: A north side for the express use of the court and room for a judge's bench , lawyers' tables and a jury box . The bottom floor of the courthouse was completed in 1822 and quickly became the place for court business, political gatherings, elections, public town meetings , lectures, sermons and more. Sometime in 1834-35, Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon held meetings there defending the fledgling Latter Day Saint movement . In

165-521: Is a county on the western border of the U.S. state of Indiana . According to the 2020 United States Census , it had a population of 106,153. Its county seat is Terre Haute . Vigo County is included in the Terre Haute metropolitan area . The county contains four incorporated settlements with a total population of nearly 63,000, as well as several unincorporated communities. It is divided into twelve townships which provide local services to

198-536: Is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana , and by the Indiana Code . The county council is the fiscal body of the county government and controls spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives, elected to four-year terms from county districts, are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council has limited authority to impose local taxes, in

231-439: Is land and 7.14 square miles (18.5 km ) (or 1.74%) is water. The year after it was authorized, Vigo County was divided into four townships: Honey Creek Wabash, Harrison, and Independence. Prairie Creek Township was formed later that year. Otter Creek, Raccoon, and Sugar Creek townships were created in 1820, and Independence Township was renamed as Paris Township. Raccoon and Wabash townships became part of Parke County when it

264-545: The Democratic Party , even when the county had simultaneously voted for a Republican presidential victor in question. The county has gone Democratic in 9 of the last 10 gubernatorial races since 1980, and in 8 of the last 13 Senate races since that timeframe also. Vigo is part of Indiana's 8th congressional district, which is held by Republican Larry Bucshon . As of the 2010 United States Census , there were 107,848 people, 41,361 households, and 25,607 families in

297-682: The Freemasons with a principal address by the Honorable D. W. Voorhees. This event was attended by many from the surrounding country as well as adjacent towns in Illinois . Designed by Cincinnati architect Samuel Hannaford , the building was constructed by the Terre Haute Stone Company at a cost of $ 443,000. The courthouse is made from Indiana limestone gathered from Stinesville, Indiana quarries. Cast-iron work in

330-759: The Michigan Territory was separated and the Illinois Territory was formed, Indiana was reduced to its current size and geography. By December 1816 the Indiana Territory was admitted to the Union as a state. Starting in 1794, Native American titles to Indiana lands were extinguished by usurpation, purchase, or war and treaty. The United States acquired land from the Native Americans in the 1809 treaty of Fort Wayne , and by

363-483: The treaty of St. Mary's in 1818 considerably more territory became property of the government. These two treaties resolved the occupation issue for the future Vigo County. Whites had been living in the area since 1811, when General Harrison erected a fort north of present-day Terre Haute. After the Indian skirmishes were resolved, settlers arrived in significant numbers beginning 1815. The area in present-day Vigo County

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396-404: The 1850s, George W. Julian delivered an Abolition speech in the courthouse, where an angry mob gathered to prevent him from speaking but eventually departed. Numerous notable lawyers from the region began their careers at the first Vigo County Courthouse, including Thomas H. Blake , James Whitcomb , Elisha Mills Huntington and Edward A. Hannegan . On July 4, 1832, Colonel Francis Vigo ,

429-496: The Wabash. The county's low hills are devoted to agriculture or urban development; only the drainages and river-adjacent areas are still wooded. Its highest point (680 feet (210 meters) ASL) is Sanford Hill, one mile (1.6 km) west of Paint Mill Lake, south of Terre Haute. According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 410.45 square miles (1,063.1 km ), of which 403.31 square miles (1,044.6 km ) (or 98.26%)

462-433: The city council and a special election in May 1871 in which the vote was 450 for and nearly 4,000 against the project, where it was then ordered that no new courthouse be built at that time. The second courthouse is a Second Empire -style structure designed by Cincinnati architect Samuel Hannaford . Work began on the current structure when a 10,000-pound cornerstone was laid on August 28, 1884, with ceremonies sponsored by

495-596: The county was formed into Parke County, and later that year Putnam County was formed which also affected Vigo's borders. The final change came in 1873 when the present boundaries were defined. The county is named for Colonel Francis Vigo , of Italian heritage but a citizen of Spain due to residence in St. Louis. He is credited with assisting George Rogers Clark , both in financing Clark's exploration and American Revolutionary War efforts, and in service as an agent obtaining military information for Clark against British campaigns on

528-496: The county's namesake, traveled from his home in Vincennes, Indiana , to visit Terre Haute and the urging of some of its prominent citizens. Impressed by the city, Vigo remembered the courthouse in his will (dated December 9, 1834) by a gift of $ 500 to Vigo County to be used "in the purchase of a bell for the courthouse of said county, on which will be inscribed 'Presented by Francis Vigo.'" This structure served until 1866. In 1868,

561-423: The county. The county was regarded as one of the best bellwether regions in U.S. presidential elections. Between 1888 and 2016 , it voted for the winning candidate in every election in all but two instances: 1908 and 1952 . In 2020 , its bellwether status came to an end when national winner Joe Biden lost the county by nearly 15 points to Donald Trump . The results in the county have often mirrored

594-400: The county. The population density was 267.4 inhabitants per square mile (103.2/km ). There were 46,006 housing units at an average density of 114.1 per square mile (44.1/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 88.3% white, 6.9% black or African American, 1.7% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.6% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.3% of

627-822: The county: The public schools in the county are part of the Vigo County School Corporation . During the 2009–10 school year, the schools served a total of 16,014 students. Vigo County is served by the Vigo County Public Library . Colleges in Vigo County include Indiana State University and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology . For a fuller list, see the List of schools in metropolitan Terre Haute . In recent years, average temperatures in Terre Haute have ranged from

660-625: The courthouse features a two-ton bell made in 1887. The bell was bought for $ 2,500, partially funded by the money left in Vigo's will. The courthouse was dedicated on June 7, 1888. The courthouse is of similar style to the Vanderburgh County Courthouse . It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Vigo County, Indiana Vigo County ( / ˈ v iː ɡ oʊ / VEE -goh )

693-607: The fledgling United States defined the Northwest Territory , which included the area of present-day Indiana. In 1800, Congress separated Ohio from the Northwest Territory, designating the rest of the land as the Indiana Territory . President Thomas Jefferson chose William Henry Harrison as the territory's first governor, and Vincennes was established as the territorial capital. After

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726-417: The form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes. A board of commissioners is the executive and legislative body of the county. Commissioners are elected county-wide to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute the acts of the county council, and manage the county government. The county maintains

759-662: The middle of the city. Both highways intersect U.S. Route 41 , coming from Chicago to the north; U.S. Route 150 enters from Paris, Illinois to the northwest and joins U.S. Route 41 in downtown Terre Haute, and both continue south toward Vincennes and Evansville . Several CSX Transportation railroad lines meet in Terre Haute; one enters from the north, another from the Indianapolis area, and another from Vincennes; and two others enter from Illinois. An Indiana Rail Road line runs southeast from Terre Haute toward Bedford . The following public-use airports are located in

792-450: The nationwide popular vote. In every presidential election from 1960 to 2012, the county voted less than five percentage points from the national result. In 2020, Donald Trump received 56.3 percent of the vote which was the best result for a Republican since Ronald Reagan in 1984 who received 58.4 percent of the vote. In statewide races for governor and the U.S. Senate, Vigo County has in recent years become more receptive to candidates from

825-423: The population. In terms of ancestry, 22.6% were German , 20.2% were American , 12.2% were Irish , and 10.3% were English . Of the 41,361 households, 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.1% were non-families, and 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size

858-466: The residents. The county was once regarded as one of the best bellwether regions for voting in U.S. presidential elections; it voted for the winning candidate in every election from 1956 to 2016 and in all but three elections since 1888. Until the streak ended in 2020, only one county in the United States, Valencia County, New Mexico , had voted for the winning candidate longer. In 1787,

891-407: The roof and dome as well as windows and cresting were completed by Phoenix Foundry and Machine Works. Originally, the main floor consisted of offices, with two large, high-ceiling courtrooms on the second floor. Elegantly finished and furnished, the courthouse was heated with steam from a detached building to the south and featured a hydraulic elevator . In accordance with the will of Francis Vigo,

924-438: The structure was declared unfit for use. A temporary courthouse was established in a four-story brick building on the corner of Third and Ohio streets until a more permanent structure could be built. It was assumed that the original courthouse would be fixed and return to use, but this never occurred, and the temporary structure ended up being used for 22 years. The building of a new courthouse was stalled in part by squabbling among

957-531: The then frontier. To the north of Vigo County, the Wabash River defines the boundary between Vermillion and Parke counties; the river then enters Vigo County and winds to the south-southwest, defining the southern portion of the county's western border with Illinois before continuing south along Sullivan County 's western border. Vigo County is thus the southernmost county in Indiana on the right bank of

990-634: Was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 36.1 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 47,697 and the median income for a family was $ 50,413. Males had a median income of $ 42,014 versus $ 30,217 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 20,398. About 13.3% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line , including 27.5% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over. 39°26′N 87°23′W  /  39.43°N 87.39°W  / 39.43; -87.39 Hydraulic elevator Too Many Requests If you report this error to

1023-472: Was allowed $ 25 for "clearing off the public square," indicating that the work of building the Court House began in 1818, though the structure was not completed until 1822. This original structure was brick with a broad arched transom and an interior with elevated box seats and steps. A center aisle ran through the center of the building, dividing the structure into a south side dedicated to seating and

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1056-512: Was first placed under local jurisdiction in 1790, when Knox County was created. This all-encompassing county was repeatedly subdivided as its lands were occupied − on December 30, 1816, a portion was partitioned to create Sullivan County , and on January 21, 1818, the northern portion of Sullivan was partitioned off to create Vigo County. The first county commissioners organized the government in 1818, including naming Terre Haute as its seat. The county's borders changed several times; in 1821, part of

1089-471: Was partitioned from Vigo County in 1821. Nevins and Riley townships were formed in 1822. In 1824, Paris Township was renamed again to Fayette Township. Pierson Township was created in 1829; Lost Creek in 1831; Linton in 1841; and Prairieton Township in 1857. Interstate 70 passes through the southern part of Terre Haute from east to west on its way from Indianapolis to Saint Louis, Missouri ; U.S. Route 40 roughly parallels Interstate 70 and passes through

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