Knox County, Indiana: Map

Categories: Indiana counties > 1790 establishments > Southwestern Indiana > Knox County, Indiana > Vincennes, Indiana

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Knox County is a county located in Indiana

in the United States

. It was one of two original counties created in the old Northwest Territory in 1790 and was reduced to its present size in 1817. As of 2000, the population was 39,256. The county seat is Vincennes

; other communities include the city of Bicknell

and the towns Oaktown

, Wheatland

, Freelandville

, and Monroe City

. Knox County's alphanumeric county number is 42.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 524 square miles (1,357 km²), of which 516 square miles (1,336 km²) is land and 8 square miles (21 km²) (1.57%) is water.

Major highways

Adjacent Counties

National protected area

George Rogers Clark National Historical Park

History

In 1790, Winthrop Sargent, Secretary of Northwest Territory, organized the first Indiana county, Knox County. It was named for Major General Henry Knox, U.S. Secretary of War.

Knox County was one of the original counties of the Northwest Territory and was created prior to the formation of the Indiana Territory. When it was created, Knox County extended to Canada and encompassed all or part of the present states of Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio. When the Illinois Territory was formed in 1809, the portions of Knox County beyond the Wabash River became a part of Illinois.

Many of Knox Country townships and lots were surveyed with the French system, which goes towards non-cardinal compass points. Knox and Clark

counties are the only ones laid out in this fashion.

Government

The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana 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.

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, the collection of revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.

Court: The county maintains a small 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 terms of four years. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.

County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk Each of these elected officers serve terms of four years and oversee different parts of the county government. Members elected to any county government position are required to declare a party affiliation and be a resident of the county.

Demographics

Knox County Population by year
2006 38,241 2000 39,256 1990 39,884 1980 41,838 1970 41,546 1960 41,561 1950 43,415 1940 43,973 1930 43,813 1920 46,195 1910 39,183 1900 32,746 1890 28,044 1880 26,324 1870 21,562 1860 16,056 1850 11,084 1840 10,657 1830 6,525 1820 5,437 1810 7,945 1800 2,517

As of the census of 2000, there were 39,256 people, 15,552 households, and 10,139 families residing in the county. The population density was 76 people per square mile (29/km²). There were 17,305 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile (13/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.37% White, 1.85% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. 0.82% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 28.5% were of American

, 26.3% German, 10.1% English and 8.2% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.

By 2005 the Latino population of Knox County had risen to 1.0%. African-Americans were 2.1% of the population.

In 2000 there were 15,552 households out of which 30.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.60% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.80% were non-families. 29.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county the population was spread out with 22.90% under the age of 18, 13.60% from 18 to 24, 25.40% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 15.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,362, and the median income for a family was $41,273. Males had a median income of $30,536 versus $20,916 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,085. About 11.60% of families and 16.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.70% of those under age 18 and 12.40% of those age 65 or over.

Knox County Indiana employers give high marks to their workforce when it comes to measuring productivity levels. The annual employee turnover rate is less than 5 percent, and absenteeism rates range from 0-3 percent per month.

Workforce

In 2005, Knox County had 998 business units and 16,240 jobs. The largest employing industry in the county was education and health services (including both public and private employment) with almost 34 percent of total industry employment. Trade, transportation, and utilities came in second with over 22 percent of total industry employment. Manufacturing showed the most job growth and the largest percentage gain since 2001, increasing 316 jobs or almost 21 percent.

The 2005 all industry earnings average for Knox County was $26,875, up $2,824 or 11.7 percent over the county’s 2001 average. The manufacturing industry had the highest average annual earnings at $33,238, increasing $1,695 since 2001. Annual earnings in the information sector increased the most between 2001 and 2005, up $6,518 or 29.7 percent.

The Vincennes area has a diversified economy. In 2005 retail trade was the largest of 20 major sectors. It had an average wage per job of $19,743. Per capita income grew by 17.9% between 1994 and 2004 (adjusted for inflation). While manufacturing accounts for 8.2% of the jobs, the services sector is rapidly growing. Knox County's ground breaking Pathways Program insures a well-trained, highly motivated labor force. Knox County emcompasses an area that attacts approximately 300,000 potential employees within an easy commute. Because of the proximity of the surrounding counties, and ease of access to the Vincennes area, businesses routinely draw from a labor force that lies within a 50-mile radius of their work site.