kids encyclopedia robot

Adams County, Indiana facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Adams County
Adams County courthouse in Decatur
Adams County courthouse in Decatur
Map of Indiana highlighting Adams County
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
Map of the United States highlighting Indiana
Indiana's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Indiana
Founded March 1, 1836
Named for John Quincy Adams
Seat Decatur
Largest city Decatur
Area
 • Total 339.97 sq mi (880.5 km2)
 • Land 339.03 sq mi (878.1 km2)
 • Water 0.94 sq mi (2.4 km2)  0.28%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 35,809
 • Estimate 
(2023)
36,288 Increase
 • Density 105.3299/sq mi (40.6681/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 3rd
FIPS No. 001

Adams County is located in northeastern Indiana, United States. It shares its eastern border with Ohio. This county was officially created in 1836. The main town, or county seat, is Decatur.

In 2020, the county had a population of 35,809 people. This was a 4.1% increase from 2010. Adams County has four main cities and towns. More than 15,000 people live in these areas. There are also many smaller, unincorporated communities. The county is divided into 12 areas called townships. These townships help provide local services.

Adams County has several important roads. These include four Indiana state roads and three U.S. Routes. There is also one railroad line. In 2017, about a quarter of the county's population was Swiss Amish. These 8,600 people settled in the southern part of the county, especially around Berne.

History

The idea to create Adams County began on February 7, 1835. The county officially started on March 1, 1836. It was named after John Quincy Adams. He was the sixth President of the United States. The county seat was chosen on May 18 of that same year.

The first non-Native American settlers arrived in Adams County in 1835. They came from New England. These settlers were called "Yankees." They were mostly descendants of English Puritans. These Puritans had settled New England a long time ago. Many of them were part of the Congregational Church. Some had also become Methodists or Baptists. When they arrived, they found thick forests and wild grasslands.

The first Amish families came to Adams County in 1840. Most of them came directly from Switzerland. They kept their Bernese German dialect. They did not adopt the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect that most Amish people speak.

The Yankee settlers built the first courthouse in 1839. It was a two-story wooden building. A jail made of logs was finished in 1837. The current Adams County courthouse was built in Decatur. It was constructed between 1872 and 1873. The cost was about $79,000. J. C. Johnson designed the building. He was a self-taught architect. Christian Boseker from Fort Wayne built it. The courthouse is made of red brick with stone decorations.

Geography

Map of Adams County, Indiana
Map of Adams County

In 2010, Adams County covered about 339.97 square miles. Most of this area, about 339.03 square miles, is land. Only a small part, about 0.94 square miles, is water. This means 99.72% of the county is land.

Adjacent counties

Adams County shares its borders with these other counties:

The county has four main towns and cities. They are all located in a line from north to south. Decatur is the largest city and the county seat. It is in the northern part of the county. Here, U.S. Route 27 and U.S. Route 33 meet U.S. Route 224. U.S. Route 27 continues south through Monroe. It then goes through Berne and Geneva.

Communities

Cities

Unincorporated communities

Townships

  • Blue Creek
  • French
  • Hartford
  • Jefferson
  • Kirkland
  • Monroe
  • Preble
  • Root
  • Saint Marys
  • Union
  • Wabash
  • Washington

Climate and weather

Weather chart for Decatur, Indiana
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
2.2
 
32
17
 
 
2.2
 
37
21
 
 
2.9
 
48
30
 
 
3.7
 
61
39
 
 
3.8
 
72
50
 
 
4.4
 
81
60
 
 
4
 
84
64
 
 
3.7
 
82
62
 
 
3
 
76
54
 
 
2.6
 
64
43
 
 
3.2
 
50
34
 
 
2.8
 
37
23
temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches
source: The Weather Channel

Adams County has a humid continental climate. This means it has cold winters and hot summers. The average temperatures in Decatur change throughout the year. In January, the average low is 17°F. In July, the average high is 84°F. The lowest temperature ever recorded was -24°F in January 1985. The highest was 107°F in July 1934. The county gets about 2 to 4 inches of rain each month. June usually has the most rain.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1840 2,264
1850 5,797 156.1%
1860 9,252 59.6%
1870 11,382 23.0%
1880 15,385 35.2%
1890 20,181 31.2%
1900 22,232 10.2%
1910 21,840 −1.8%
1920 20,503 −6.1%
1930 19,957 −2.7%
1940 21,254 6.5%
1950 22,393 5.4%
1960 24,643 10.0%
1970 26,871 9.0%
1980 29,619 10.2%
1990 31,095 5.0%
2000 33,625 8.1%
2010 34,387 2.3%
2020 35,809 4.1%
2023 (est.) 36,288 5.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2015 2019 2020

In 2020, there were 35,809 people living in Adams County. There were also 12,481 households. About 31.3% of households had children under 18. Most households (55.1%) were married couples. The average household had 2.79 people. The average family had 3.39 people. The average age of people in the county was 33.5 years.

Most people (77.1%) own their homes. About 8.7% rent their homes. About 40.6% of the population has a high school degree or higher. About 15.5% have a bachelor's degree or higher. Many people work in manufacturing (31.2%). Others work in education, health care, and social services (17.6%). Retail jobs make up 10.3% of employment.

The average income for a household was $52,504. For a family, it was $65,609. About 16.8% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 24.5% of those under 18.

2020 census

Adams County Racial Composition
Race Num. Perc.
White (NH) 33,080 92.4%
Black or African American (NH) 171 0.5%
Native American (NH) 80 0.22%
Asian (NH) 135 0.4%
Pacific Islander (NH) 4 0.01%
Other/Mixed (NH) 702 2%
Hispanic or Latino 1,637 4.6%

Amish community

The Amish community in Adams County is called the Swiss Amish. Their ancestors came to the county in 1840. They speak a special Bernese dialect every day. In 2017, there were 8,595 Swiss Amish people. They belonged to 58 different church groups. This made up 24.2% of the county's total population.

Religion


Circle frame-1.svg

Religion in Adams County, according to ARDA (2020)      Evangelical Churches (37.4%)     Anabaptist Church ( Amish ) (22.7%)     Catholic Church (8.4%)     Mainline Protestant Churches (7.1%)     Black Protestant Churches (5.9%)     Others (0.9%)     None* (17.5%)

*"Nones" refers to people who don't identify with a specific religion. This group includes people who might have some spiritual beliefs but don't attend church regularly. For example, many "Nones" still believe in God or a higher power.

Transportation

Three major U.S. Routes cross Adams County. U.S. Route 27 and U.S. Route 33 enter from Fort Wayne in Allen County. They pass through Decatur. Then, U.S. Route 27 goes south through Monroe, Berne, and Geneva. U.S. Route 33 heads southeast into Ohio. U.S. Route 224 crosses the northern part of the county from west to east. It meets U.S. Routes 27 and 33 in Decatur. Then it continues into Ohio.

Several Indiana State Roads also run through the county. Indiana State Road 124 goes east-west. It runs from Bluffton to the Ohio border. Indiana State Road 101 goes north-south. It connects State Road 124 to Allen County. Indiana State Road 116 crosses west-east. It goes from Bluffton to Geneva. Indiana State Road 218 runs west-east through the southern part of the county, passing through Berne.

CSX Transportation operates a train line. It runs from Decatur northwest toward Fort Wayne.

Education

Public schools in Adams County are managed by three groups. These are North Adams Community Schools, Adams Central Community Schools, and South Adams Schools. The Diocese of Fort Wayne and Lutheran Schools of Indiana also run schools here. In total, there are 13 schools in the county.

Festivals and Fairs in Adams County

  • Adams County 4-H Fair (Monroe)
  • Swiss Days (Berne)
  • Calithumpian Festival (Decatur)
  • Festival of Kekionga (Decatur)
  • 4th of July Fireworks, (Down Town Decatur)
  • Summer Concert Series (Downtown Decatur)
  • DeKeggar BBQ and Beer Brewing Competition (Downtown Decatur)
  • Highland Games - Old Scottish Style Strength Competition (Downtown Decatur)

Media

Radio

  • WZBD (Berne)

Newspapers

  • The Decatur Daily Democrat (Decatur)
  • Berne Tri-Weekly (Berne)

Notable people

  • Gene Stratton-Porter (1863 – 1924) was an author and nature photographer. She lived in Decatur and Geneva from 1886 to 1913.
  • Chemist Richard R. Schrock was born in Berne in 1945. He won the Nobel Prize in organic chemistry in 2005.
  • Director David Anspaugh (born 1946) was born in Decatur. He directed famous movies like Hoosiers and Rudy.
  • Sculptor David Smith (1906 – 1965) was born in Decatur.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Adams (Indiana) para niños

kids search engine
Adams County, Indiana Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.