Wabash is a city in Wabash County, Indiana. It is located along the Wabash River. In 2010, about 10,666 people lived there. Wabash is famous for being one of the first cities in the world to use electric lights. This happened on March 31, 1880, when the courthouse grounds were lit up.

The city is also home to several important places. These include the historic Eagles Theatre and the Paradise Spring Treaty Grounds. The old Wabash and Erie Canal also runs through the area.

What's in a Name?

The name Wabash comes from a Miami-Illinois word. It means "water over white stones." This name describes how clear the Wabash River was. You could see the limestone river bottom in Huntington County, Indiana.

Wabash City History

Early Settlers and Growth

The first people settled in Wabash in 1829. This happened after the Paradise Spring treaty. The town of Wabash was officially planned in 1834. It was designed by Col. Hugh Hanna and Col. David Burr. Wabash was chosen as the main city for Wabash County.

The town grew quickly because it was close to the Wabash and Erie Canal. This canal helped transport goods and people. In 1870, a big fire destroyed the Wabash County Courthouse and much of the downtown area. But the city worked hard and recovered. The building of the Big Four Railway helped the town grow even more. However, this also meant the canal was used less.

The First Electric Lights

Wabash made history on March 31, 1880. It was one of the first places to use a new type of electric light. These were carbon arc lights, invented by Charles Brush. Four powerful lamps, each 3,000-candle power, were hung from the top of the courthouse. Wires connected the lamps to a generator in the courthouse basement. A 12-horsepower steam engine powered the generator. This brought electric light to the city.

Historic Places in Wabash

Many buildings and areas in Wabash are very old and important. They are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Some of these include:

James M. Amoss Building
Downtown Wabash Historic District
East Wabash Historic District
First Christian Church
Honeywell Memorial Community Center
Honeywell Studio
McNamee-Ford House
North Wabash Historic District
West Wabash Historic District
Solomon Wilson Building

Wabash Geography

Wabash from the air, looking west.

The Wabash River flows through the city. It continues towards Peru. In Peru, the river splits, creating several islands. Sandbars are also common in this part of the river.

Wabash covers a total area of about 9.128 square miles (23.64 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 8.89 square miles (23.02 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.238 square miles (0.62 square kilometers), is water.

Wabash Climate and Weather

Climate data for Wabash, Indiana, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1925–present
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	70 (21)	74 (23)	82 (28)	91 (33)	98 (37)	104 (40)	109 (43)	103 (39)	102 (39)	92 (33)	86 (30)	70 (21)	109 (43)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	55.3 (12.9)	59.0 (15.0)	71.3 (21.8)	80.6 (27.0)	87.7 (30.9)	92.2 (33.4)	92.1 (33.4)	91.2 (32.9)	89.9 (32.2)	83.3 (28.5)	69.0 (20.6)	57.5 (14.2)	94.1 (34.5)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	33.8 (1.0)	38.0 (3.3)	48.9 (9.4)	61.9 (16.6)	73.1 (22.8)	81.6 (27.6)	84.8 (29.3)	83.0 (28.3)	77.6 (25.3)	65.5 (18.6)	51.0 (10.6)	38.4 (3.6)	61.5 (16.4)
Daily mean °F (°C)	25.9 (−3.4)	29.2 (−1.6)	39.1 (3.9)	50.7 (10.4)	62.0 (16.7)	71.0 (21.7)	74.2 (23.4)	72.4 (22.4)	66.0 (18.9)	54.3 (12.4)	41.7 (5.4)	30.9 (−0.6)	51.5 (10.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	17.9 (−7.8)	20.3 (−6.5)	29.2 (−1.6)	39.6 (4.2)	50.9 (10.5)	60.5 (15.8)	63.6 (17.6)	61.7 (16.5)	54.4 (12.4)	43.1 (6.2)	32.5 (0.3)	23.5 (−4.7)	41.4 (5.2)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	−3.8 (−19.9)	0.9 (−17.3)	10.6 (−11.9)	23.4 (−4.8)	34.5 (1.4)	45.2 (7.3)	51.7 (10.9)	50.6 (10.3)	39.8 (4.3)	29.0 (−1.7)	18.4 (−7.6)	4.2 (−15.4)	−7.7 (−22.1)
Record low °F (°C)	−24 (−31)	−22 (−30)	−13 (−25)	4 (−16)	23 (−5)	30 (−1)	41 (5)	34 (1)	25 (−4)	16 (−9)	−3 (−19)	−21 (−29)	−24 (−31)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	2.41 (61)	2.25 (57)	2.63 (67)	3.54 (90)	4.36 (111)	4.88 (124)	4.56 (116)	4.20 (107)	3.20 (81)	3.06 (78)	2.91 (74)	2.34 (59)	40.34 (1,025)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	7.3 (19)	4.8 (12)	2.4 (6.1)	0.4 (1.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	1.0 (2.5)	3.6 (9.1)	19.5 (49.7)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	9.4	7.7	9.7	10.8	12.3	12.2	10.0	8.7	8.7	9.1	9.7	8.9	117.2
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	4.3	2.4	1.4	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.6	2.2	11.1
Source 1: NOAA
Source 2: National Weather Service

People of Wabash

Wabash County Courthouse

How Many People Live Here?

In 2010, there were 10,666 people living in Wabash. These people lived in 4,465 households. About 2,805 of these were families. The city had about 1,199.8 people per square mile (463.2 people per square kilometer).

Most people in Wabash are White (96.3%). There are also smaller groups of African American, Native American, and Asian people. About 2.0% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.

Families and Age Groups

About 29.3% of households had children under 18 years old. Many households (45.7%) were married couples living together. About 32.6% of households were single people. Also, 14.9% of households had someone aged 65 or older living alone.

The average age in Wabash was 41.3 years old. About 22.5% of residents were under 18. About 18.8% were 65 or older. The city had slightly more females (52.8%) than males (47.2%).

Arts and Fun in Wabash

The Eagles Theatre

Eagles Theatre

The Eagles Theatre first opened on March 30, 1906. It was built for vaudeville shows, which were popular at the time. In the late 1920s, it was updated by architect Alvin M. Strauss. By the 1930s, it started showing movies. More changes were made in 1939, giving it an Art Deco style.

The Eagles Theatre has one of the biggest movie screens in Indiana. It also has two balconies and a ballroom. This historic theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

The Honeywell Center

The Honeywell Center is a place for performing arts in downtown Wabash. Building started in 1940 but was paused until 1957. In 1997, a large addition was built. This included the Ford Theater, which has 1,500 seats. It also added Eugenia's Restaurant and an art gallery.

Wabash Economy

The Honeywell Corporation started in Wabash in the 1880s. It still has a strong presence in the city today. Wabash is also home to The Ford Meter Box Company. This company makes important equipment for the water industry.

Many other smaller companies are in Wabash. These include Papers Industries Inc., Beacon Credit Union, and Thermafiber, Inc. The Metropolitan School District also provides many jobs in the city.