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Lebanon, Indiana
City
Boone County Courthouse in Lebanon
Boone County Courthouse in Lebanon
Motto(s): 
The Friendly City
Location of Lebanon in Boone County, Indiana.
Location of Lebanon in Boone County, Indiana.
Country United States
State Indiana
County Boone
Townships Center, Perry
Area
 • Total 17.32 sq mi (44.87 km2)
 • Land 17.31 sq mi (44.83 km2)
 • Water 0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2)  0.13%
Elevation
951 ft (290 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 16,662
 • Density 962.73/sq mi (371.71/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
46052
Area code(s) 765
FIPS code 18-42624
GNIS feature ID 2395662
Website http://www.lebanon.in.gov/

Lebanon is a city in and the county seat of Boone County, Indiana, United States. The population was 15,792 at the 2010 census. Lebanon is located in central Indiana, approximately 29 miles (47 km) northwest of downtown Indianapolis and 36 miles (58 km) southeast of Lafayette.

History

Lebanon was founded in 1832. It was named by a pioneer settler who saw a stand of hickory trees on the site and was reminded of the Biblical cedars of Lebanon. The first post office at Lebanon was established in 1832.

Historical sites

Lebanon is the home of the Historic Cragun House. Built in 1893, it was once the home of Strange Nathaniel Cragun and his family. The family travelled the world, and their house is now a living history museum full of the pieces they collected from their travels as well as original furniture from the dwelling. This Victorian home is owned and maintained by the Boone County Historical Society and serves as headquarters for the organization. The Cragun House has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Also listed on the National Register of Historic Places are the Boone County Courthouse and Oak Hill Cemetery.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Lebanon has a total area of 15.566 square miles (40.32 km2), of which 15.55 square miles (40.27 km2) (or 99.9%) is land and 0.016 square miles (0.04 km2) (or 0.1%) is water.

Notable architecture

The county courthouse of Lebanon is notable for its single-piece vertical Ionic order limestone columns. They were at one time believed to be the largest single-piece limestone columns in the world.

Historical population
Census Pop.
1860 892
1870 1,572 76.2%
1880 2,625 67.0%
1890 3,682 40.3%
1900 4,465 21.3%
1910 5,474 22.6%
1920 6,257 14.3%
1930 6,445 3.0%
1940 6,529 1.3%
1950 7,631 16.9%
1960 9,523 24.8%
1970 9,766 2.6%
1980 11,456 17.3%
1990 12,059 5.3%
2000 14,222 17.9%
2010 15,792 11.0%
2020 16,662 5.5%
U.S. Decennial Census

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 15,792 people, 6,433 households, and 4,049 families living in the city. The population density was 1,014.9 inhabitants per square mile (391.9/km2). There were 7,057 housing units at an average density of 453.5 per square mile (175.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.1% White, 0.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.1% of the population.

There were 6,433 households, of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.1% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.97.

The median age in the city was 37.5 years. 24.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.8% were from 25 to 44; 25.6% were from 45 to 64; and 14.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.0% male and 52.0% female.

Education

Lebanon Community School Corporation has six schools under its jurisdiction: four elementary schools, a middle school and a high school. The body enrolled 3,381 students for the 2019–2020 school year, and is recognized as a “B” district by the Indiana Department of Education.

List of schools - Lebanon Community School Corporation
  • Lebanon Senior High School
  • Lebanon Middle School
  • Central Elementary School
  • Hattie B. Stokes Elementary School
  • Harney Elementary School
  • Perry-Worth Elementary School

The city has a lending library, the Lebanon Public Library, which was established as a Carnegie library with an initial grant of $15,000 in 1903.

Economy

Major employers in Lebanon include Lebanon Community School Corporation; the U.S. headquarters of German power tools company Festool and of Canadian specialty foods manufacturer Skjodt-Barrett; manufacturing plants for Hendrickson International, DS Smith, Kuraray, Kauffman Engineering, Maplehurst Bakeries, and D-A Lubricant Company; distribution centers for CNH Parts & Services, Subaru of America, Continental Tire the Americas, and Hachette Book Group USA; and health care and medical facilities operated by Witham Health Services.

Transportation

Highways

Airports
The Boone County Airport is located two nautical miles (2.3 mi, 3.7 km) southeast of Lebanon's central business district. The nearest commercial airport which currently has scheduled airline service is Indianapolis International Airport (IND), located approximately 32 miles (51 km) south of Lebanon.

Railroads and Trails
CSX provides freight rail service in Lebanon. The Lebanon Business Park located in the southwest part of the city is designated a CSX Select Site; CSX constructed a rail spur directly into the business park.

The Lafayette and Indianapolis Railroad line traversing Lebanon was owned and operated by a number of companies from its inception in 1852 until it was abandoned in 1985. Portions of the former railroad line have been re-purposed as a shared use path currently known as Big 4 or Farm Heritage Trail. A trailhead is located at Sam Ralston Road east of Interstate 65 in Lebanon, and the trail extends 9.5 miles (15.3 km) from this point northwest to Thorntown.

Notable people

  • Jacob M. Gile (1849–1937), architect in Colorado, born in Lebanon, Indiana
  • Doug Jones, MLB All-Star relief pitcher
  • Mel Kenyon, Hall of Fame midget car driver; had four top-five finishes in Indianapolis 500
  • Sylvia Likens, murder victim, born in Lebanon, murdered in Indianapolis in 1965 when she was 16
  • Ray Long, editor of Cosmopolitan from 1919 to 1931, was born in Lebanon
  • Ami McKay, novelist, playwright and journalist.
  • Rick Mount, 1966 Indiana "Mr. Basketball" award recipient, 3x All-American Purdue player
  • William Perigo, basketball head coach at Western Michigan University and University of Michigan
  • Drew Powell, actor, is best known for his role as Hoss Cartwright on the PAX series Ponderosa'
  • Allen Saunders, cartoonist and writer, Mary Worth
  • G. Thomas Tanselle, textual critic, bibliographer, and book collector, especially known for his work on Herman Melville
  • Craig Terrill, former Purdue and Seattle Seahawks football player
  • Herman B Wells, former President of Indiana University, attended Lebanon High School

See also

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