Greensburg, Indiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Greensburg, Indiana
City
Franklin Street in Downtown Greensburg
Flag Logo
Nickname(s):  Tree City
Location of Greensburg in Decatur County, Indiana.
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Decatur
Area
• Total	9.41 sq mi (24.37 km2)
• Land	9.36 sq mi (24.25 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.12 km2)
Elevation	942 ft (287 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	12,312
• Density	1,315.10/sq mi (507.76/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	47240
Area code(s)	812
FIPS code	18-29718
GNIS feature ID	2394992

Greensburg is a city in Decatur County, Indiana, United States. It is also the county seat, which means it's where the main government offices for the county are located. In 2020, about 12,312 people lived there.

What's in a Name?

Greensburg was named by the wife of its founder, Thomas Hendricks Sr.. She chose the name to honor her hometown, Greensburg, Pennsylvania. When the first post office opened in 1823, the city's name was spelled "Greensburgh." The "h" was removed in 1894.

Greensburg's Story

Greensburg was first planned out in 1822 by Colonel Thomas Hendricks, who was a soldier in the War of 1812.

In 1837, the Michigan Road was finished. This road helped more people move to and visit the growing town. Greensburg grew even faster after the Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and St. Louis Railroad was completed in 1853. Businesses like farms, metal factories, hat shops, and grocery wholesalers used Greensburg's good location near the railroad.

Early 1900s in Greensburg

At the start of the 1900s, life became very difficult for African Americans in Greensburg. After some serious events in 1906 and 1907, many African American residents were forced to leave the city. For many years after this, Greensburg was known as a "sundown town." This meant it was a place where African Americans were not allowed to live or stay after dark.

Where is Greensburg?

Greensburg covers an area of about 9.3 square miles (24.1 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water.

Greensburg's Weather

Greensburg has a climate where temperatures are usually warm, and it rains fairly often throughout the year. Summers can be hot and humid, especially at night. Summers also tend to be wetter than winters, with much of the rain coming from thunderstorms. This type of weather is called a "Humid Subtropical Climate."

Who Lives in Greensburg?

Greensburg's Population in 2010

In 2010, there were 11,492 people living in Greensburg. These people lived in 4,661 households, and 2,927 of these were families.

Most people in Greensburg (96.1%) were White. A small number of people were African American (0.4%), Native American (0.2%), or Asian (1.3%). About 2.4% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 32.5% of households had children under 18 living with them. Many households (44.2%) were married couples. The average age of people in Greensburg was 37 years old.

What Does Greensburg Make?

Honda Motor Company has a big car factory in Greensburg. This factory is called Indiana Auto Plant (IAP). It is the largest employer in the city. Honda bought the land for the factory in 2006. They started making the Honda Civic sedan there in 2008.

As of 2021, the Honda factory employs over 2,700 people. They make the Honda Civic hatchback, the Honda CR-V, and the Honda Insight. Honda also sends cars made in Greensburg to Mexico, Latin America, and other places.

Another company, Delta Faucet Company, has been making faucets and shower parts in Greensburg since 1958.

Greensburg's Culture and Landmarks

Historical Society

The Historical Society of Decatur County opened a museum in 1976. It's in an old house that was renovated in 2006. The museum helps keep records and show exhibits about the area's history. Students can visit the museum or take part in "Pioneer Day" to learn about the first settlers. There's also a project where students research old buildings and put up bronze plaques with historical information on them.

Famous Places in Greensburg

Several buildings and areas in Greensburg are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites. Some of these include:

• Bromwell Wire Works
• Decatur County Courthouse
• Greensburg Carnegie Public Library
• Greensburg Downtown Historic District
• Bright B. Harris House
• Jerman School
• Knights of Pythias Building and Theatre

The Tree on the Courthouse Tower

Tree on the Courthouse Tower in Greensburg, Indiana

The Decatur County Courthouse in Greensburg is famous for something very unusual: a tree that grows right out of its tower! This is why Greensburg is often called "Tree City."

People first noticed a tree growing on the tower in the early 1870s. Since then, there has almost always been at least one tree growing there. Sometimes, other small trees have appeared too.

At first, officials worried the trees might damage the roof. In the 1880s, someone was hired to remove some of them. But two trees were left, and one grew to be almost 15 feet (4.6 meters) tall! When that tree died, another one had already started growing.

Today, there are two trees on the tower. Experts from Purdue University have looked at a piece of the tree and confirmed it is a mulberry tree.

Getting Around Greensburg

Greensburg is located right next to Interstate 74. This highway connects Greensburg to Indianapolis and Cincinnati. U.S. Route 421 also links Greensburg to Indianapolis and Lexington, Kentucky.

Other important roads include Indiana State Road 3, which goes north to Muncie and Fort Wayne, and south towards Louisville, Kentucky. Indiana State Road 46 connects Greensburg to Columbus, Bloomington, and Terre Haute to the west, and Batesville to the east.

There are plans for a high-speed train line between Indianapolis and Cincinnati, and Greensburg might be a stop on this line.

Greensburg also has a small airport called the Greensburg Municipal Airport. It has one runway that is about 3,343 feet (1,019 meters) long. There are ideas to make the runway longer or build a new airport in the future.

For bigger flights, the Indianapolis International Airport is about 59 miles (95 km) away, and the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is about 66 miles (106 km) away.

Learning in Greensburg

Most of Greensburg is served by the Greensburg Community Schools. Some smaller parts of the city are in the Decatur County Community Schools.

News and Radio

Greensburg has its own newspaper, the Greensburg Daily News. It comes out every day except Sunday.

The city also has a local radio station, 1330 AM 104.3 FM WTRE. This station plays country music and shares local news and sports from high schools in the area.

Famous People from Greensburg

Many notable people have connections to Greensburg:

• Annie Laurie Adams Baird (1864–1916), an author and missionary in Korea.
• William Cumback (1829–1905), a lawyer, Civil War paymaster, and U.S. representative. He was also the 16th lieutenant governor of Indiana.
• Carl G. Fisher (1874–1939), an entrepreneur who helped start the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and develop Miami Beach.
• James Bradford Foley (1807–1886), a politician who served in Congress.
• John Goodnow (1858–1907), a United States consul general in Shanghai.
• Marc Griffin (born in 1956), a lawyer who became the world's youngest judge.
• Thomas Hendricks Sr. (1773–1835), a veteran of the War of 1812 and the founder of Greensburg.
• Ezekiel J. Ingersoll (1838–1925), an Illinois state representative and businessman.
• Oliver Kessing (1890–1963), a commissioner for the All-America Football Conference.
• Rose McConnell Long (1892–1970), a United States senator and wife of Huey Long. She was one of the first women to serve in the U.S. Senate.
• Bryant McIntosh (born 1994), a college basketball player.
• Alex Meyer (born in 1990), a former Major League Baseball player.
• Dave Robbins, a jazz trombonist, composer, and educator.
• Wilbur Shaw (1902–1954), a three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 race.
• Roy Henry Thorpe (1874–1951), a politician who served in Congress.
• Gilbert Van Camp (1814–1900), a businessman who started the Van Camp canning company.
• John T. Wilder (1830–1917), a Civil War Union General.
• Aldred Scott Warthin (1866–1931), a pathologist known for his work on cancer genetics.

See also

In Spanish: Greensburg (Indiana) para niños