Loogootee, Indiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Loogootee, Indiana
City
Looking down West Main Street from U.S. 231
Location in Martin County, Indiana
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Martin
Township	Perry
Area
• Total	1.57 sq mi (4.06 km2)
• Land	1.56 sq mi (4.05 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)  0%
Elevation	532 ft (162 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,601
• Density	1,661.98/sq mi (641.74/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	47553
Area code(s)	812 and 930
FIPS code	18-44910
GNIS feature ID	2395763

Loogootee (say it like "luh-GOH-tee") is a small city in Martin County, Indiana. It's located in the U.S. state of Indiana. In 2020, about 2,601 people lived there. The city is known for its interesting history and strong community spirit.

Discover Loogootee's Past

Loogootee was founded in 1853. This happened when people found out a new railroad line would come through the area. The city's post office has been open since 1857.

The Story Behind the Name

The name "Loogootee" is quite unique! Some people think it comes from a French name, Le Gaultier. However, the most likely story is that it combines two names:

• Thomas Lowe: He was the engineer of the first train that passed through the town.
• Thomas Nesbe Gootee: He owned the land where the city was built.

Reader's Digest magazine even said Loogootee has one of the hardest names to pronounce in Indiana!

Exploring Loogootee's Location

Loogootee is on the western side of Martin County. Its western edge touches the Daviess County line.

Major Roads and Connections

Several important U.S. highways run through the center of Loogootee:

• U.S. Routes 50 and 150 go along Broadway street.
• U.S. Route 231 comes from the north on John F. Kennedy Avenue. It then joins Routes 50 and 150 on Broadway.

These roads connect Loogootee to other towns:

• US 50 and 150 go east about 7 miles to Shoals, which is the county seat. They go west about 15 miles to Washington.
• US 231 goes north about 24 miles to Bloomfield and south about 21 miles to Jasper.
• Indiana State Road 550 goes southeast about 10 miles to Lacy.

Land and Water Features

Loogootee covers about 1.57 square miles (4.06 square kilometers). Only a tiny part of this area is water. The city's water flows into Boggs Creek and Friends Creek. These creeks eventually lead to the East Fork of the White River, which is part of the larger Wabash River system.

Understanding Loogootee's Climate

Loogootee has a climate with hot, humid summers and cool to cold winters.

• Average temperatures range from about 19 degrees Fahrenheit in winter to 68 degrees Fahrenheit in summer.
• The warmest month is usually July. The highest temperature ever recorded was 104 degrees Fahrenheit in 1954.
• The coolest month is typically January. The lowest temperature ever recorded was -23 degrees Fahrenheit in 1994.
• The most rain usually falls in May.

People of Loogootee

In 2010, there were 2,751 people living in Loogootee. Most residents (98.3%) were White. About 28.6% of households had children under 18. The average age in the city was 40.4 years old.

Education and Sports in Loogootee

Downtown Loogootee

Loogootee has a strong focus on education and sports. The school district includes:

• Loogootee Elementary (Pre-Kindergarten to 4th grade)
• Loogootee Middle School (5th to 8th grade)
• Loogootee High School (9th to 12th grade)

The school mascot is a lion, and the school colors are black and old gold.

High School Sports Pride

Loogootee High School is especially proud of its basketball history.

• It was home to Jack Butcher, the winningest high school basketball coach in Indiana history. He won 806 games!
• Coach Butcher led the Loogootee basketball team to two state finals in 1970 and 1975.
• In 2012, the boys' basketball team won their first state championship in any sport.
• The Lions have big rivalries with North Daviess and Barr-Reeve. Their rivalry with Barr-Reeve is often called the best high school rivalry in the state.
• The boys' basketball program has had winning records for many years.

Other sports also have strong traditions:

• The boys' tennis program has won twelve straight sectional titles.
• The girls' tennis program won seven straight sectional titles from 2004-2010.
• The volleyball team was state runner-up three years in a row (2005–2007) and again in 2012.

Loogootee Public Library

The town also has the Loogootee Public Library. It's part of the Evergreen Indiana Library Consortium. This means library members can borrow books and eBooks from many different libraries.

Famous People from Loogootee

Some notable people have come from Loogootee:

• Patrick Summers: A famous conductor and music director.
• Nathan Kimball: A major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
• Ann Joseph Morris: A nun and beekeeper.
• L. Brooks Patterson: A county executive in Michigan.

Loogootee's Economy

Many people in Loogootee work for the federal government or for companies that work with the government. These jobs are often at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division, which is about 10 miles north of town.

Transportation in Loogootee

Loogootee is an important meeting point for two major US highways: U.S. Route 231 and U.S. Route 50.

US Highways Passing Through

• U.S. Route 231
• U.S. Route 50
• U.S. Route 150

See also

In Spanish: Loogootee (Indiana) para niños