Hamlet, Indiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hamlet, Indiana
Town
Depot in Hamlet, circa 1910
Location of Hamlet in Starke County, Indiana.
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Starke
Township	Davis, Oregon
Area
• Total	0.97 sq mi (2.53 km2)
• Land	0.96 sq mi (2.50 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation	699 ft (213 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	773
• Density	801.04/sq mi (309.21/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	46532
Area code(s)	574 and 219
FIPS code	18-30708
GNIS feature ID	2396983

Hamlet is a small town located in Starke County, Indiana, in the United States. It's split between two areas called Davis and Oregon Townships. In 2020, about 773 people lived there.

History of Hamlet

Hamlet was founded in 1863 by a man named John Hamlet. The town was named after him.

Railroads in Hamlet's Past

Long ago, two important railroad lines passed through Hamlet. One was part of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR). It connected Chicago, Illinois, to Fort Wayne, Indiana. The other line was the New York Central's (NYC) Kankakee Belt. It ran from Elkhart, Indiana, to Kankakee, Illinois.

In 1968, these two big railroad companies joined together. They formed a new company called the Penn Central Railroad. Later, in 1976, the government took over Penn Central and other struggling railroads. This created a new company called Conrail.

Both rail lines were used a lot until the late 1970s. But by the early 1980s, the Kankakee Belt line was no longer used and its tracks were removed. The old PRR line also saw much less train traffic. Today, a part of the former PRR line is still used by the Chicago, Fort Wayne & Eastern Railroad (CF&E). This line helps Hamlet's large grain elevator, especially during the busy harvest season.

Recent Developments and Services

In 2020, a new Dollar General store was planned for Hamlet. Its construction was finished in 2021. The town has also had a post office since 1864, which is still open today.

Geography of Hamlet

The town of Hamlet was originally built on both sides of U.S. Route 30. In 1926, the highway was moved. Now, U.S. Route 30 goes around Hamlet, about half a mile north of the town. Hamlet is also about 2 miles (3.2 km) east of U.S. Route 35.

Area and Water

According to information from 2010, Hamlet covers a total area of about 0.98 square miles (2.54 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 0.97 square miles (2.51 square kilometers), is land. Only a small part, about 0.01 square miles (0.03 square kilometers), is water.

Population and People

Hamlet's Population in 2010

In 2010, there were 800 people living in Hamlet. These people lived in 299 households, and 225 of these were families.

Most of the people in Hamlet were White (96.6%). There were also small numbers of Native American (1.0%) and Asian (0.1%) residents. About 2.6% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Age and Households

The average age of people in Hamlet in 2010 was 35 years old.

• About 27.6% of residents were under 18 years old.
• About 11.4% were between 18 and 24 years old.
• About 25.1% were between 25 and 44 years old.
• About 23.6% were between 45 and 64 years old.
• About 12.6% were 65 years old or older.

In terms of households:

• 37.1% of households had children under 18 living there.
• 48.8% were married couples living together.
• 18.7% had a female head of household with no husband present.
• 7.7% had a male head of household with no wife present.
• 24.7% were non-family households.

Arts and Culture in Hamlet

Hamlet has a public library where people can borrow books and use other resources. It is part of the Starke County Public Library System.

See also

In Spanish: Hamlet (Indiana) para niños