Bartholomew County, Indiana | |
|---|---|
 TheBartholomew County Courthouse in Columbus | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofIndiana | |
 Indiana's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:39°13′N85°54′W / 39.21°N 85.9°W /39.21; -85.9 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Indiana |
| Founded | February 12, 1821 |
| Named after | Joseph Bartholomew |
| Seat | Columbus |
| Largest city | Columbus |
| Area | |
• Total | 409.52 sq mi (1,060.7 km2) |
| • Land | 406.91 sq mi (1,053.9 km2) |
| • Water | 2.62 sq mi (6.8 km2) 0.64% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 82,208 |
• Estimate (2023) | 84,003 |
| • Density | 202.03/sq mi (78.004/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional districts | 6th,9th |
| Website | www |
| Indiana county number 3 | |
Bartholomew County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofIndiana. The population was 82,208 at the2020 census. Thecounty seat isColumbus.[1] The county was determined by theU.S. Census Bureau to be home to themean center of U.S. population in 1900.[2] Bartholomew County makes up the Columbus, IndianaMetropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of theIndianapolis-Carmel-Muncie Combined Statistical Area.
The area now known as Bartholomew County was long populated by indigenous peoples, including theMiami,Potawatomi, andShawnee. The county is the site of numerousmounds, and human remains dating back as far as 3,000 years have been uncovered in the county. Early settlers recounted the presence of large villages along the various creeks and rivers in the area.[3][4] The area was within the territory of theHaudenosaunee, and was part of the lands officially ceded to Great Britain in the 1701Nanfan Treaty. Encroachment by European settlers, contested by indigenous peoples, began in the years after theAmerican Revolutionary War with the 1787Northwest Ordinance. By then,Delaware people lived in the area. A series of treaties, beginning with the 1804 Treaty with thePiankeshaw,[5] initiated the incorporation of the area into the United States. This process was ended with the 1818Treaty of St. Mary's, although violent conflict with indigenous peoples was mostly over by 1813 and white settlers had begun to squat on the land by 1816.[6]
Bartholomew County was formed on February 12, 1821, and was named forLt. Col. Joseph Bartholomew, wounded at theBattle of Tippecanoe.[7] Bartholomew and his fellow officerJohn Tipton led militia through the county in 1813, and Tipton purchased several parcels in the area in 1820, building a cabin at the confluence of theWhite andDriftwood rivers. The site of the county seat was chosen on February 15, 1821, by a team of commissioners, who suggested the name Tiptona, in honor of Tipton. In July of the same year, theLegislature renamed Tiptona to Columbus, in honor ofChristopher Columbus.
The county's first general store was built in the fall of 1821, and trade routes connecting Columbus withCincinnati,Indianapolis,Chicago, andMadison were built by 1835. Although indigenous people continued living in Bartholomew County after its formation, they were soon forced out by settlers. A band visited the courthouse in 1830, and Dr. John Beck, an early settler, recounted visits by solitary natives as late as 1839.[6] Mills were built along the Driftwood River following the establishment of trade routes, and theMadison and Indianapolis Railroad began servicing Columbus in 1844. The arrival of the railroad spurred the establishment of local industry in and around Columbus. The current Bartholomew County Courthouse was completed in 1871. Notably,Cummins Inc. was established in Columbus in 1919.
Cummins grew rapidly during and after World War II to become a national, and later global, leader in the production of engines and generators. Under the leadership ofJ. Irwin Miller, the company sponsored the building of dozens of structures in and around Columbus by eminent architects includingI.M. Pei,Eilel andEero Saarinen, andHarry Weese.[8] Today, the local economy continues to be shaped by the presence of Cummins and other manufacturers. Its built heritage attracts a large number of tourists and architects.[9]
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 409.52 square miles (1,060.7 km2), of which 406.91 square miles (1,053.9 km2) (or 99.36%) is land and 2.62 square miles (6.8 km2) (or 0.64%) is water.[10]Camp Atterbury occupies the northwestern corner of the county.
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In recent years, average temperatures in Columbus have ranged from a low of 19 °F (−7 °C) in January to a high of 86 °F (30 °C) in July, although a record low of −27 °F (−33 °C) was recorded in January 1912 and a record high of 111 °F (44 °C) was recorded in July 1934. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.63 inches (67 mm) in February to 4.63 inches (118 mm) in May.[11]
| Bartholomew County Sheriff's Department | |
|---|---|
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Bartholomew, Indiana, United States |
| Legal jurisdiction | As per operations jurisdiction |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Agency executive |
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The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by theConstitution of Indiana, and by theIndiana Code.
County Council: The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.[12][13]
Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.[12][13]
Court: The county maintains asmall claims court that can handle some civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state levelcircuit court.[13]
County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, includingsheriff,coroner,auditor,treasurer,recorder,surveyor, and circuitcourt clerk. Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare aparty affiliation and to be residents of the county.[13]
Bartholomew County is part ofIndiana's 6th congressional district andIndiana's 9th congressional district;Indiana Senate district 41;[14] andIndiana House of Representatives districts 57, 59 and 65.[15]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1888 | 2,742 | 46.27% | 3,109 | 52.46% | 75 | 1.27% |
| 1892 | 2,297 | 40.38% | 3,217 | 56.56% | 174 | 3.06% |
| 1896 | 3,264 | 50.03% | 3,198 | 49.02% | 62 | 0.95% |
| 1900 | 2,375 | 41.08% | 3,300 | 57.07% | 107 | 1.85% |
| 1904 | 3,510 | 51.60% | 3,038 | 44.66% | 254 | 3.73% |
| 1908 | 3,306 | 46.13% | 3,637 | 50.75% | 224 | 3.13% |
| 1912 | 1,321 | 20.26% | 3,147 | 48.26% | 2,053 | 31.48% |
| 1916 | 3,287 | 47.08% | 3,441 | 49.29% | 253 | 3.62% |
| 1920 | 6,585 | 53.93% | 5,420 | 44.39% | 205 | 1.68% |
| 1924 | 6,606 | 56.62% | 4,760 | 40.80% | 302 | 2.59% |
| 1928 | 6,788 | 57.76% | 4,881 | 41.53% | 83 | 0.71% |
| 1932 | 6,015 | 43.16% | 7,533 | 54.05% | 390 | 2.80% |
| 1936 | 6,484 | 42.92% | 8,536 | 56.50% | 87 | 0.58% |
| 1940 | 7,890 | 48.84% | 8,180 | 50.63% | 86 | 0.53% |
| 1944 | 7,689 | 50.99% | 7,139 | 47.34% | 252 | 1.67% |
| 1948 | 7,804 | 48.74% | 7,960 | 49.71% | 248 | 1.55% |
| 1952 | 11,462 | 58.77% | 7,844 | 40.22% | 196 | 1.01% |
| 1956 | 12,227 | 59.78% | 8,134 | 39.77% | 92 | 0.45% |
| 1960 | 13,606 | 59.09% | 9,290 | 40.35% | 130 | 0.56% |
| 1964 | 11,026 | 45.77% | 12,940 | 53.72% | 124 | 0.51% |
| 1968 | 13,628 | 55.80% | 8,268 | 33.85% | 2,528 | 10.35% |
| 1972 | 17,365 | 70.87% | 6,974 | 28.46% | 163 | 0.67% |
| 1976 | 14,771 | 56.41% | 11,203 | 42.78% | 213 | 0.81% |
| 1980 | 15,801 | 58.58% | 9,260 | 34.33% | 1,913 | 7.09% |
| 1984 | 18,704 | 69.35% | 8,075 | 29.94% | 191 | 0.71% |
| 1988 | 17,364 | 66.05% | 8,804 | 33.49% | 123 | 0.47% |
| 1992 | 13,146 | 47.91% | 8,284 | 30.19% | 6,010 | 21.90% |
| 1996 | 13,188 | 51.60% | 9,301 | 36.39% | 3,069 | 12.01% |
| 2000 | 16,200 | 62.87% | 9,015 | 34.98% | 554 | 2.15% |
| 2004 | 19,093 | 66.96% | 9,191 | 32.23% | 231 | 0.81% |
| 2008 | 17,067 | 54.90% | 13,567 | 43.64% | 455 | 1.46% |
| 2012 | 18,083 | 61.52% | 10,625 | 36.15% | 684 | 2.33% |
| 2016 | 20,640 | 63.09% | 9,841 | 30.08% | 2,236 | 6.83% |
| 2020 | 22,410 | 61.74% | 12,934 | 35.63% | 956 | 2.63% |
| 2024 | 22,220 | 62.44% | 12,525 | 35.19% | 843 | 2.37% |
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830 | 5,476 | — | |
| 1840 | 10,042 | 83.4% | |
| 1850 | 12,428 | 23.8% | |
| 1860 | 17,865 | 43.7% | |
| 1870 | 21,133 | 18.3% | |
| 1880 | 22,777 | 7.8% | |
| 1890 | 23,867 | 4.8% | |
| 1900 | 24,594 | 3.0% | |
| 1910 | 24,813 | 0.9% | |
| 1920 | 23,887 | −3.7% | |
| 1930 | 24,864 | 4.1% | |
| 1940 | 28,276 | 13.7% | |
| 1950 | 36,108 | 27.7% | |
| 1960 | 48,198 | 33.5% | |
| 1970 | 57,022 | 18.3% | |
| 1980 | 65,088 | 14.1% | |
| 1990 | 63,657 | −2.2% | |
| 2000 | 71,435 | 12.2% | |
| 2010 | 76,794 | 7.5% | |
| 2020 | 82,208 | 7.1% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 84,003 | [17] | 2.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[18][19] 1790-1960[20] 1900-1990[21] 1990-2000[22] 2010-2013[23] | |||
As of the2020 United States census, there were 82,208 people and 31,452 households residing in the county.[24] The population density was 188.7 inhabitants per square mile (72.9/km2). There were 33,098 housing units at an average density of 81.3 per square mile (31.4/km2).[10] Per the 2020 census, the racial makeup of the county was 80.0% white, 6.6% Asian, 2.2% black or African American, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 4.7% from other races, and 6.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8.8% of the population.[24] In terms of ancestry, according the 2010 census, 28.5% wereGerman, 12.4% wereEnglish, 12.2% wereIrish, and 10.7% wereAmerican.[25]
Of the 29,860 households in 2010, 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.4% were non-families, and 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.02. The median age was 38.2 years.[24]
In 2010, the median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $64,024. Males had a median income of $50,358 versus $32,334 for females; the per capita income for the county was $26,860; and approximately 7.7% of families and 10.4% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 15.8% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.[26]
Public schools in Bartholomew County are administered by theBartholomew Consolidated School Corporation and theFlat Rock-Hawcreek School Corporation. The county's first tuition-free public charter school, theInternational School of Columbus, a middle school/high school, opened in 2009–10. The ISC was an International Baccalaureate World School offering the Diploma Program. The ISC closed due to financial difficulties in the fall of 2013.
Ivy Tech Community College Columbus is located in Bartholomew County.[27]
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Municipalities and communities ofBartholomew County, Indiana,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
39°13′N85°54′W / 39.21°N 85.90°W /39.21; -85.90
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