Leavenworth, Indiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leavenworth, Indiana
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Location of Leavenworth in Crawford County, Indiana.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | Crawford |
| Township | Jennings |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.92 sq mi (2.39 km2) |
| • Land | 0.88 sq mi (2.27 km2) |
| • Water | 0.05 sq mi (0.12 km2) |
| Elevation | 663 ft (202 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 289 |
| • Density | 329.16/sq mi (127.11/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
47137
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| Area code(s) | 812 |
| FIPS code | 18-42606 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2396711 |
| Website | Official Site for Leavenworth, Indiana: http://www.leavenworthindiana.org |
Leavenworth is a small town in Crawford County, Indiana. It is located right next to the Ohio River. In 2020, about 289 people lived there.
Contents
History
How Leavenworth Started
Leavenworth was founded in 1818. It was built in a special horseshoe-shaped bend of the Ohio River, right under a big hill called Mt. Eden. This hill is part of the Indiana Ridge and looks across the river towards Kentucky.
The town was started by two brothers, Zebulon and Seth Leavenworth, who came from Connecticut.
In 1824, a wood yard opened in Leavenworth. It supplied fuel to steamboats traveling on the river. Later, in 1830, David Lyon started a boat-building business there. The Whitcomb brickyard was also a busy factory.
The Crisis, Crawford County’s first newspaper, began in Leavenworth in 1839.
River Travel and Health
In 1835, Zebulon Leavenworth started a stagecoach line. This route went from Leavenworth to Indianapolis, which was the new state capital. It was mainly used by students going to the new State College in Bloomington (now Indiana University). It was also used by boatmen returning from trips downriver.
Boatmen coming back from New Orleans sometimes carried diseases like yellow fever and cholera. These diseases often caused problems in the Ohio Valley. Seth Leavenworth wanted to build a special hospital near the town. This hospital would help sick people and keep diseases from spreading. However, the plan was never approved by the Indiana government.
The County Seat and a "Courthouse War"
In 1843, Leavenworth became the county seat, meaning it was the main town for government in Crawford County. It stayed the county seat until 1896. That year, a group of people from English stole the county records. This event was part of a famous "courthouse war" between the two towns.
Seth Leavenworth later moved to Missouri and passed away in 1854. His son, also named Zebulon, became a famous steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River. He was friends with the famous writer Mark Twain. They even piloted a steamboat together during the start of the Civil War.
The Hines Raid (1863)
In June 1863, during the Civil War, a 25-year-old Confederate spy named Thomas Hines rode into Indiana. He was sent by General John Hunt Morgan to meet with people who supported the Southern cause.
Hines and about 100 of his men stole Union uniforms and robbed a train for money. Dressed as Union soldiers, they crossed the Ohio River near Leavenworth. They then rode towards Paoli, pretending to be chasing Union deserters.
In French Lick, they met with Doctor William A. Bowles. He was a local leader who supported the Confederacy and slavery. Bowles told them he could not help them. Meanwhile, Indiana Home Guards were chasing the Confederates.
Hines hired a local person from Leavenworth to guide them to a safe river crossing back into Kentucky. But this guide was actually a Union supporter and tricked them. People from Leavenworth helped Union troops. Several Confederate horsemen were shot as they tried to cross the river. Three Confederate soldiers died, and many were captured. They were held in the Methodist Church in Leavenworth. Hines, the spy, managed to escape.
After the Civil War ended, Leavenworth was a busy town. Steamboats regularly stopped there.
The Great Fire of 1890
In the fall of 1890, a big fire swept through part of Leavenworth. Many businesses were destroyed, including the hotel, the newspaper office, and most of the town's stores. A hotel porter named Lyman Davis discovered the fire, but they could not put it out.
Industries: Buttons and Lime
Making buttons was an important industry in Leavenworth. The buttons were made from shells found in the river. This industry started to decline in the 1920s when most of the shells were used up. In 1910, 700 people lived in the town, and three button factories employed 24 families. Other jobs included building boats, hauling freight, and making barrels.
Quarries, where stone is dug from the ground, opened in the 1880s. Lime from these quarries was shipped out on flatboats. In October 1890, a fire destroyed about one-third of Leavenworth. At that time, the town had over 500 people.
The 1937 Ohio River Flood
In January 1937, the Ohio River began to rise. Heavy rains caused a huge flood, which was the worst in the history of the Ohio Valley. In Leavenworth, 20 out of 145 houses floated away, and 65 were lifted off their foundations. About 400 of the town's 418 residents had to leave their homes.
Workers from the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a government program, and the Salvation Army tried to save what they could. After the floodwaters went down, the town decided to move. What was left of Leavenworth was moved to the top of the bluff, a higher area. This made "Old" Leavenworth a ghost town. The rebuilding was finished by December 1938. Leavenworth was the only town in Indiana to be completely rebuilt in a new location.
Geography
Leavenworth covers about 0.87 square miles (2.27 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.
Climate
Leavenworth has a climate with hot, humid summers. The winters are generally mild to cool. This type of weather is called a humid subtropical climate.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 567 | — | |
| 1880 | 716 | 26.3% | |
| 1890 | 792 | 10.6% | |
| 1900 | 655 | −17.3% | |
| 1910 | 690 | 5.3% | |
| 1920 | 611 | −11.4% | |
| 1930 | 418 | −31.6% | |
| 1940 | 394 | −5.7% | |
| 1950 | 358 | −9.1% | |
| 1960 | 387 | 8.1% | |
| 1970 | 330 | −14.7% | |
| 1980 | 356 | 7.9% | |
| 1990 | 320 | −10.1% | |
| 2000 | 353 | 10.3% | |
| 2010 | 238 | −32.6% | |
| 2020 | 289 | 21.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Population in 2010
According to the 2010 census, there were 238 people living in Leavenworth. There were 88 households, and 52 of these were families. The average age of people in the town was 56.5 years old. About 13.9% of the residents were under 18 years old.
Images for kids
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Horseshoe Bend in Ohio River, visible from Leavenworth
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A scene from Old Leavenworth, Indiana
See also
In Spanish: Leavenworth (Indiana) para niños
