Greentown, Indiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Greentown, Indiana
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Downtown Greentown in the winter. Showing the light, and the corner which Subway sits.
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Location of Greentown in Howard County, Indiana.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | Howard |
| Township | Liberty |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.29 sq mi (3.35 km2) |
| • Land | 1.29 sq mi (3.35 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 843 ft (257 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,370 |
| • Density | 1,831.53/sq mi (706.90/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (EST) |
| ZIP code |
46936
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| Area code(s) | 765 |
| FIPS code | 18-29772 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2396976 |
Greentown is a small town in Howard County, Indiana, United States. It's located about 9 miles east of Kokomo. Greentown is known for being home to the Howard County Fair Grounds. The town was officially started in 1848 and became an incorporated town in 1873.
Greentown is famous for its special collectible glassware. This glass was made for only a few years by a local factory that burned down in 1903. Today, you can learn all about it at the Greentown Glass Museum. In 2010, the town had a population of 2,415 people.
Contents
About Greentown
Where is Greentown?
Greentown is located in Liberty Township. According to the 2010 census, the town covers about 1.37 square miles (3.55 square kilometers) of land. There is no water area within the town limits.
On December 30, 2010, Greentown was the closest town to where a small earthquake happened in Indiana. The earthquake had a magnitude of 3.8.
Greentown's Beginnings
Greentown was first laid out in 1848. It was built on the site of an older Native American village. People in the area needed a place to trade goods, so the town began to grow. One of the first merchants, L. W. Bacon, built a log house. Another merchant, C. O. Fry, also built a store nearby.
Around 1840, the Miami tribe, part of the Algonquin native peoples, lived in Howard County. They had villages in different spots, including one south of where Greentown is today. People often traveled on paths between these villages.
How Greentown Got Its Name
There are a few ideas about how Greentown got its name:
- One idea is that the area had lots of green grass.
- Another idea is that before it became a town, the land was part of a township called Green Township. Even though Green Township later split into other townships, people might have wanted to keep the "Green" name.
- A third idea is that Greentown was an Indian settlement named after a Native American chief called Green.
Growing Over Time
Greentown first appeared in the US census in 1880. Its population started at just over 200 people. It quickly grew to a thousand people within 20 years. Over the years, Greentown's population has slowly increased. It has been around 2,500 people since the 1990s. The town expects to grow more when its sewage treatment plant is updated.
The Hy-Red Gasoline Station is an important historic building in Greentown. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
In 2022, a large solar power plant was planned near Greentown. Some local people were concerned about this project. They worried about noise and losing farmland.
Famous People from Greentown
Greentown has been home to some notable individuals:
- Miriam Seegar, a film actress
- Sara Seegar, also a film actress
- James A. Evans (1827–1887), a civil engineer
Greentown's Glass Industry
Greentown found its first natural gas well in 1877. This led to a big change for the town. D.C. Jenkins started a glass factory called Indiana Tumbler and Goblet Factory. This company made beautiful glass items.
In 1899, the factory was sold to the National Glass Company. This company made glassware that is very popular with collectors today. The glass factory brought many jobs to Greentown. It was the town's main period of industrial activity.
However, in 1903, a fire destroyed the factory building. After the fire and a drop in natural gas supply, Greentown's population went down. The town also lost a lot of money. But since then, the town's population has more than doubled from its industrial peak.
Libraries in Greentown
Greentown has two public libraries. One is in the elementary school building. The other is in the local high school. These libraries hold many events. They help Greentown residents get involved and interested in reading.
Getting Around Greentown
Roads and Highways
In the late 1800s, citizens built two toll roads to connect Greentown with Kokomo. These roads made travel easier. Today, Main Street in Greentown carries several highways. Meridian Street is the main north-south road. The historic downtown area is centered on Meridian Street.
The Howard County Fair is just north of Greentown on Meridian Street. The Elementary School is on Walnut Street. Eastern Junior & Senior High School is on Harrison Street. The football stadium is at the corner of Walnut and Harrison Streets.
Here are the main highways that pass through or near Greentown:
US-35 goes north to Logansport and south to Muncie.
IN-19 goes north to Converse and south to Tipton.
IN-22 goes west to Burlington and Kokomo. It goes east to Gas City and Hartford City.
IN-213 goes north from Greentown to near Noblesville in the south.
Rail Transportation
The Interurban Railroad came to Greentown in 1902. It provided train transportation for people in Kokomo, Greentown, and Marion. Many workers from Kokomo and Marion moved to Greentown. They wanted to live in a more rural area but still have city jobs. This made Greentown a "bedroom community" and a small business center. The Interurban stopped running in 1930. Since then, Greentown has not had modern public transportation.
Walking Trails
Greentown has two walking trails for people to enjoy:
- Comet Trail: This trail is one mile long. It is named after the local high school mascot.
- Historic Downtown Walking Trail: This trail helps you learn more about the town's history as you walk.
Population of Greentown
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 236 | — | |
| 1890 | 731 | 209.7% | |
| 1900 | 1,287 | 76.1% | |
| 1910 | 1,156 | −10.2% | |
| 1920 | 1,163 | 0.6% | |
| 1930 | 1,081 | −7.1% | |
| 1940 | 1,080 | −0.1% | |
| 1950 | 1,180 | 9.3% | |
| 1960 | 1,266 | 7.3% | |
| 1970 | 1,870 | 47.7% | |
| 1980 | 2,265 | 21.1% | |
| 1990 | 2,172 | −4.1% | |
| 2000 | 2,546 | 17.2% | |
| 2010 | 2,415 | −5.1% | |
| 2020 | 2,370 | −1.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2013 Estimate |
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Greentown first appeared in the US census in 1880. Before that, in 1870, only Kokomo, Russiaville, and New London were listed in Howard County. By 1880, Greentown was listed instead of New London. Greentown's population quickly grew to over a thousand people in just twenty years.
2010 Census Information
In 2010, Greentown had 2,415 people living in 964 households. About 645 of these were families. The town had about 1,763 people per square mile (681 people per square kilometer). There were 1,069 homes in total.
Most of the people in Greentown were White (97.1%). A small number were African American (0.6%), Native American (0.2%), or Asian (1.0%). About 1.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 34.4% of households had children under 18 living with them. Nearly half (49.5%) were married couples. About 29.9% of all households were individuals living alone. About 14.1% of homes had someone 65 years or older living by themselves. The average household had 2.40 people. The average family had 2.97 people.
The average age in Greentown was 41.4 years. About 25.1% of residents were under 18. About 20.1% were 65 years or older. There were slightly more females (54.0%) than males (46.0%) in the town.
Education in Greentown
School District
Greentown is part of the Eastern Howard School Corporation. This district serves students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Eastern High School's sports teams compete in the Hoosier Heartland Conference (HHC). The school colors are green and gold. Their mascot is the Mighty Comets.
Local News
Greentown used to have a monthly newspaper called Greentown Grapevine. It was published from 1994 to 2013.
See also
In Spanish: Greentown (Indiana) para niños
