Vevay, Indiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vevay, Indiana
Town
Main Street in Downtown Vevay
Location of Vevay in Switzerland County, Indiana.
Vevay, Indiana Location in Indiana Vevay, Indiana Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Switzerland
Township	Jefferson
Area
• Total	1.55 sq mi (4.01 km2)
• Land	1.45 sq mi (3.76 km2)
• Water	0.10 sq mi (0.26 km2)
Elevation	482 ft (147 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,741
• Density	1,199.86/sq mi (463.37/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	47043
Area code(s)	812
FIPS code	18-79010
GNIS feature ID	445270

Vevay ( VEE-vee) is a town located in Jefferson Township and the county seat of Switzerland County, Indiana, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 1,683 at the 2010 census.

History

Vevay was founded in 1802 by Swiss immigrants intending on cultivating grapes and producing wine. It was named after the Swiss town of Vevey. Vevay has a reputation as being home of the first commercial winery in the United States. When Switzerland County was formed in 1814, Vevay was made the county seat.

The Vevay post office has been in operation since 1816. The community was incorporated as a town in 1836.

The Edward and George Cary Eggleston House, Old Hoosier Theatre, Benjamin Schenck Mansion, and Switzerland County Courthouse are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Vevay is located at 38°44′45″N 85°4′16″W (38.745837, -85.071044), along the Ohio River and Indiana State Road 56/156.

According to the 2010 census, Vevay has a total area of 1.547 square miles (4.01 km²), of which 1.45 square miles (3.76 km²) (or 93.73%) is land and 0.097 square miles (0.25 km²) (or 6.27%) is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Vevay has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1840	1,200		—
1860	1,198		—
1880	1,884		—
1890	1,663		−11.7%
1900	1,588		−4.5%
1910	1,256		−20.9%
1920	1,175		−6.4%
1930	1,183		0.7%
1940	1,209		2.2%
1950	1,309		8.3%
1960	1,503		14.8%
1970	1,463		−2.7%
1980	1,343		−8.2%
1990	1,393		3.7%
2000	1,735		24.6%
2010	1,683		−3.0%
2020	1,741		3.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,683 people, 725 households, and 393 families living in the town. The population density was 1,160.7 inhabitants per square mile (448.1/km²). There were 826 housing units at an average density of 569.7 per square mile (220.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.1% White, 0.5% African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.1% of the population.

There were 725 households, of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.3% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.8% were non-families. 39.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.89.

The median age in the town was 40.8 years. 20.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.7% were from 25 to 44; 27.2% were from 45 to 64; and 17.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.

Events

The Swiss Wine Festival

Vevay holds an annual celebration called the Swiss Wine Festival. It is usually held on the last weekend in August, as well as the preceding Thursday and Friday. The festival has many fun activities such as ferry rides on the Ohio River, amusement rides, pageants, car shows, musical performances, cheerleading competitions, the famed grape stomps and both Beer and Wine Gardens. Many people also set up booths for shopping. On Saturday night, most gather on the docks and close to the river to watch a fireworks show. People from all over the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio tristate come to enjoy the festive celebration.

Origin

Since 1797, approximately every 22 years, la Fête des Vignerons (The Winegrowers' Festival) is celebrated in the Swiss city of Vevey.

Points of interest

• "Life on the Ohio" River History Museum reflects Vevay's and Switzerland County's heritage on the Ohio River. Open year-round (excluding major holidays) Sunday - Saturday from 10 - 5.
• Switzerland County Historical Museum is located in an old Presbyterian church, built in 1860. Open year-round (excluding major holidays) Saturday - Sunday from 10 - 5.
• The first Switzerland County Courthouse was built in 1822 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was replaced by the one that stands today in 1865, built by contractor John Haley.
• The Benjamin Franklin Schenck Mansion is a 35-room mansion, built in 1874 by Benjamin Franklin Schenck and is currently a bed and breakfast.
• The U.P. Schenck House was built in 1846 for Ulysses P. Schenck, a Swiss riverboat captain who owned a fleet of flat bottom river boats.
• The Armstrong Tavern is a two-story log house built in 1816 by Thomas Armstrong.
• The Hoosier Theatre was built in 1837 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In popular culture

The 1975 TV Movie A Girl Named Sooner was set in and filmed in and around Vevay in the summer of 1974.

Education

Elementary schools

• Jeff-Craig Elementary School

Middle schools

• Switzerland Middle School

High schools

• Switzerland County Senior High School

Others

The town has a lending library, the Switzerland County Public Library.

Notable people

• Lydia Moss Bradley, philanthropist and founder of Bradley University
• Ebenezer Dumont, Civil War general and U.S. Congressman
• Julia Louisa Dumont (1794-1857), educator and writer
• Edward Eggleston, Methodist minister and author
• George Cary Eggleston, author, editor, Civil War Historian, and brother to Edward Eggleston.
• Bertha Fry, supercentenarian, born in Vevay in 1893, died in 2007 at age 113 years, 11 months, 13 days (third oldest living person at the time of death)
• Ken Maynard, actor and stuntman
• Kermit Maynard, actor and stuntman, played for Indiana University Football 1920s, Ken Maynard's younger brother.
• Will Henry Stevens, artist
• E. S. L. Thompson (1848-1944), writer
• Kat Von D, tattoo artist