Churubusco, Indiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Churubusco, Indiana
Town
Town of Churubusco
Nicknames:  'Busco, Turtle Town, U.S.A.
Location of Churubusco in Whitley County, Indiana.
City limits as of 2010 annexation.
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Whitley
Township	Smith
Government
• Type	council-clerk
Area
• Total	1.05 sq mi (2.71 km2)
• Land	1.05 sq mi (2.71 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	896 ft (273 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,870
• Density	1,784.35/sq mi (689.18/km2)
Demonym(s)	Busconian
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code	46723
Area code(s)	260
FIPS code	18-12610
GNIS feature ID	2396645
Website	http://www.townofchurubusco.com

Churubusco (pronounced like "chair-uh-BUS-koh") is a small town in the state of Indiana, United States. People often call it Busco for short. It's located in the northeast part of Whitley County, not far from the Eel River. About 1,870 people lived there in 2020.

History of Churubusco

Churubusco started as two separate towns in the 1800s. These towns were named Union and Franklin. They were right next to each other, separated by a railroad track.

How Churubusco Got Its Name

In the 1840s, both Union and Franklin grew. They needed a post office closer to home. Before that, people had to travel 11 miles to get their mail. The Postmaster General said the towns had to share one post office. He also said they couldn't use "Union" or "Franklin" because other towns in Indiana already had those names.

So, the people of the towns had a meeting. They decided to name their new post office "Churubusco." This name came from a battle that happened in Mexico in 1847. It was called the Battle of Churubusco during the Mexican–American War. The United States won a big victory there. The townsfolk thought it was a patriotic name, just like Union or Franklin. Plus, they were sure no other town in Indiana would pick such a unique name! The Churubusco post office has been open since 1848.

The name Churubusco comes from a Spanish word. This Spanish word came from an old Nahuatl (NAH-wah-tul) word. Nahuatl was spoken by native people like the Aztecs. The name refers to a temple area for an Aztec god. It means "place (or temple) of the hummingbird god."

An 1889 map of Churubusco showing the first two towns, "Union" and "Franklin."

Geography of Churubusco

Churubusco is a small town, covering about 1 square mile (2.7 square kilometers) of land. There is no water area within the town limits.

People of Churubusco

In 2010, there were 1,796 people living in Churubusco. The town had 706 households. About 38% of these households had children under 18 living there. The average age of people in Churubusco was about 34 years old.

Culture and Fun in Churubusco

Churubusco is famous for its special events and a local legend!

Turtle Days Festival

Churubusco hosts the oldest festival in Indiana that has been held every year. It's called Turtle Days. This festival takes place at the local park. It has rides, games, live music, and food vendors.

The festival is inspired by the legend of Oscar the Turtle, also known as the Beast of Busco. This is a story about a giant snapping turtle that supposedly lived in Fulk's Lake nearby. Many people have tried to catch this huge turtle, but no one has ever succeeded. Some say Oscar was as big as a small car! The lake was even drained once, but no evidence of Oscar was found.

People think Oscar might be so hard to find because the lakes and ponds around Churubusco are connected by many hidden channels and tunnels. Many locals say they have seen the beast. But until proof is found, Oscar remains a mystery of Churubusco, Indiana. You can see murals and statues of Oscar around the downtown area and inside the local schools.

Downtown Churubusco

Churubusco has worked to make its downtown area even nicer. They added new sidewalks, decorative lights, and benches. The downtown area has many local shops. These include an antique store, barber shops, a hardware store, and restaurants.

One famous restaurant is called Magic Wand. It has been owned by the same family since 1964. It's a family-friendly diner with an outside ice cream shop. The restaurant is known for its unique decorations, with hundreds of clowns inside!

Community Events

The Churubusco Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Churubusco work together to create fun events for everyone.

• Busco Block Party: Every August, Churubusco hosts this free event. It features local businesses, live music, and other activities.
• Halloweenfest: This event happens the Saturday before Halloween. Kids can trick-or-treat at local shops, enter a costume contest, and go on hayrides. Hundreds of children attend this popular event each year.

Education in Churubusco

Students in Churubusco attend schools in the Smith–Green Community Schools district. This includes:

• Churubusco High School
• Churubusco Middle School
• Churubusco Elementary School

About 1,400 students attend these schools. The town also has a public library, the Churubusco Public Library.

Climate in Churubusco

Severe Weather

On April 25, 1929, a tornado hit Churubusco. It blew the roof off a gas station in town.

Media in Churubusco

Churubusco has had several newspapers over the years.

• Churubusco News is a weekly newspaper that has been published since 1994.

There is also a radio station:

• WXKE 96.3 MHz plays classic rock music.

Famous People from Churubusco

Some notable people have come from Churubusco:

• Paul Ashley Chase (1878–1946) – He helped start Warner Brothers Pictures.
• Brent Gaff – A professional baseball player.
• Harry Gandy (1881–1957) – He was a U.S. Representative for South Dakota.
• Craig W. Hartman – A well-known architect.
• Sharon Wichman – An Olympic gold medalist in swimming.

See also

In Spanish: Churubusco (Indiana) para niños