Clay County, Indiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Clay County
U.S. county
Clay County Courthouse, Brazil
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
Indiana's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Indiana
Founded	February 12, 1825
Named for	Henry Clay
Seat	Brazil
Largest city	Brazil
Area
• Total	360.32 sq mi (933.2 km2)
• Land	357.54 sq mi (926.0 km2)
• Water	2.78 sq mi (7.2 km2)  0.77%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	26,466
• Estimate  (2023)	26,460
• Density	73.4514/sq mi (28.3597/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	8th
Indiana county number 11

Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 26,466. The county seat is Brazil. Clay County is included in the Terre Haute, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The Indiana Legislature mandated Clay County in 1825, with territory partitioned from Owen, Putnam, Sullivan, and Vigo counties. Its name honors Henry Clay, a famous antebellum American statesman.

The first Courthouse was built in the newly platted town of Bowling Green in 1828. It was a two-story structure of hand-hewn logs.

By the late 1830s Clay County had grown to the extent that the first Courthouse could no longer provide adequate facilities. Therefore, a second Courthouse was constructed near the first Courthouse. This two-story brick structure served until destroyed by fire on November 30, 1851.

By the 1860s the towns of Harmony, Knightsville, and Brazil were growing rapidly, due in part to their location along the National Road, and also because of the many coal companies in that area. An effort to move the county seat of government to a more central location, which had begun in the 1850s, grew stronger creating controversy among citizens. In the 1860s citizens in the northern section of Clay County became more organized in their efforts. In 1871 brothers Robert and John Stewart donated land along the National Road in Brazil for a new courthouse. $5,300 was also raised by citizens in the area to entice the commissioners to move the seat of government from Bowling Green to Brazil. This amount was reportedly the value of the existing courthouse and grounds, thus defusing opponents' argument that abandoning the present courthouse would be a waste of taxpayers money. The relocation efforts, which began in 1871, were challenged in the Supreme Court. The relocation was finally granted in 1876.

In 1912 John W. Gaddis, a prominent architect in Vincennes, Indiana, entered into a contract with the County Commissioners to design, plan, and oversee the construction of a new courthouse. The construction bid of W.H. Bailey and Charles A. Koemer of Louisville, Kentucky was accepted in 1912 with the cornerstone being laid in the fall of 1912. Gaddis had completed several others: in Fairfield and Robinson, Illinois: Perryville, Missouri and two in Indiana, the Putnam County Courthouse in Greencastle (1905) and the Huntington County Courthouse (1906) in Huntington, which are also in Classical Revival mode.

The Clay County Courthouse, built in 1913–1914, is one of the most historically and architecturally significant buildings in Brazil and Clay County, Indiana. Built in Classical Revival style of architecture, it is the only building in Clay County holding county government offices and records. It is also located alongside the famed National Road (Cumberland Trail). The present building is the fifth Clay County Courthouse.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 360.32 square miles (933.2 km²), of which 357.54 square miles (926.0 km²) (or 99.23%) is land and 2.78 square miles (7.2 km²) (or 0.77%) is water.

Communities

City

• Brazil

Towns

Census-designated place

• Coalmont

Unincorporated communities

Townships

Adjacent counties

Education

The county has two high schools: Northview High School (grades 9–12) and Clay City High School (grades 7–12). There are 7 elementary schools: Van Buren Elementary, Jackson Township Elementary, Staunton Elementary, Meridian Street Elementary, Forest Park Elementary, East Side Elementary and Clay City Elementary. The Clay Community School Corporation is located in Brazil.

Transportation

Major highways

• Interstate 70
• U.S. Route 40
• State Road 42
• State Road 46
• State Road 48
• State Road 59
• State Road 157
• State Road 159
• State Road 246
• State Road 340

Airport

The county contains one public-use airport: Brazil Clay County Airport (0I2), serving Brazil, Indiana.

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in Brazil 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) 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.

Demographics

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 26,890 people, 10,447 households, and 7,454 families in the county. The population density was 75.2 inhabitants per square mile (29.0/km²). There were 11,703 housing units at an average density of 32.7 per square mile (12.6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.8% white, 0.3% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.5% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 29.2% were German, 20.2% were American, 12.8% were Irish, and 11.0% were English.

Of the 10,447 households, 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.6% were non-families, and 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.99. The median age was 39.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $52,907. Males had a median income of $40,671 versus $31,331 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,569. About 9.0% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.9% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Clay (Indiana) para niños