Walkerton, Indiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Walkerton, Indiana
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Downtown Walkerton
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Location of Walkerton in St. Joseph County, Indiana.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | St. Joseph |
| Township | Lincoln |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.90 sq mi (4.93 km2) |
| • Land | 1.90 sq mi (4.93 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 725 ft (221 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,096 |
| • Density | 1,100.84/sq mi (425.05/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
46574
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| Area code(s) | 574 |
| FIPS code | 18-79694 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2397718 |
| Website | http://www.walkerton.org/ |
Walkerton is a town in Lincoln Township, St. Joseph County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 2,144 at the 2010 Census. It is part of the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN-MI, Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
History
Walkerton was platted in 1856. It was named for John Walker, a railroad promoter. The town was laid out by the railroad surveyors and the first lot was taken by C.W.N. Stephens, Walkerton's first postmaster. Stephens relocated his general store from nearby West York. The Walkerton post office has been in operation since 1860.
During World War II Walkerton housed some of the workers for the nearby Kingsbury Ordnance Plant. The plant initially sought 10,000 workers, and the entire population of LaPorte numbered only 16,000 in 1940. In August 1941 Kingsbury's first shells were loaded and en route to the front lines.
In July 2006, Walkerton celebrated its sesquicentennial (150-year anniversary).
In April 2015, Walkerton gained national attention after the owners of the town's local pizza parlor, Memories Pizza, became the first known Indiana business to advertise that it would not cater to a gay wedding after the passing of Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, Walkerton has a total area of 1.96 square miles (5.08 km2), all land.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 754 | — | |
| 1890 | 885 | 17.4% | |
| 1900 | 1,037 | 17.2% | |
| 1910 | 1,003 | −3.3% | |
| 1920 | 1,031 | 2.8% | |
| 1930 | 1,137 | 10.3% | |
| 1940 | 1,178 | 3.6% | |
| 1950 | 2,102 | 78.4% | |
| 1960 | 2,044 | −2.8% | |
| 1970 | 2,006 | −1.9% | |
| 1980 | 2,051 | 2.2% | |
| 1990 | 2,061 | 0.5% | |
| 2000 | 2,274 | 10.3% | |
| 2010 | 2,144 | −5.7% | |
| 2020 | 2,096 | −2.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 2,144 people, 763 households, and 546 families living in the town. The population density was 1,093.9 inhabitants per square mile (422.4/km2). There were 850 housing units at an average density of 433.7 per square mile (167.5/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 95.0% White, 0.4% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 2.1% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.0% of the population.
There were 763 households, of which 38.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.4% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.18.
The median age in the town was 37.2 years. 26.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.7% were from 25 to 44; 25.4% were from 45 to 64; and 14.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 46.9% male and 53.1% female.
Arts and culture
Libraries include Walkerton-Lincoln Township Public Library; Fish Lake Branch library, operated by the La Porte County Public Library; and Koontz Lake Branch library, operated by Starke County Public Library System.
Education
John Glenn School Corporation operates Walkerton Elementary School, Urey Middle School, and John Glenn High School. The district
Notable people
- Chad Blount, NASCAR Nationwide Series driver
- Walter LaFeber (b. 1933), historian of American foreign relations; born in Walkerton
- Harold C. Urey (1893–1981), recipient of 1934 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovery of deuterium; born in Walkerton
See also
In Spanish: Walkerton (Indiana) para niños
