Anderson, Indiana
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Anderson is a city located in Madison County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 59,734. The city is the county seat of Madison CountyTemplate:GR. It is also the site of the headquarters of the Church of God (Anderson), and of Anderson University, which is affiliated with that denomination. Some of the highlights of the city include the historic Paramount Theatre and the Gruenwald Home
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History
The city of Anderson is named for Chief William Anderson, whose mother was a Delaware (Lenape) Indian and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief Anderson's Indian name was Kikthawenund meaning "making a noise" or "causing to crack" and is spelled in a variety of ways.
The settlers coming into Anderson referred to the village as "Anderson Town." The Moravian Missionaries called it "The Heathen Town Four Miles Away." Later it was known as "Andersontown." In 1844 the name was shortened by the Indiana legislature to "Anderson."
Between 1853 and the late 1800's, twenty industries of various sizes located here.
On March 31, 1887 natural gas was discovered in Anderson. With this discovery several factories (i.e. glass, etc.) rushed to locate here. The population increase made Anderson bulge at the seams. Other industries that could use natural gas began to locate here over night.
In 1912 the natural gas ran out. Several factories left and the whole city slowed down. The Commercial Club (formed on November 18, 1905) was the forerunner of the present Chamber of Commerce. This club persuaded the Remy Brothers to stay in Anderson and others to locate here. For decades Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide) were the top two employers in the city.
From 1949 until 1950, Anderson was the home of the Anderson Packers basketball team.
In 1990 Anderson was the ninth largest city in Indiana with a population of 59,518.
Geography
Anderson is located at 40°6'0" North, 85°40'53" West (40.100041, -85.681525)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 104.0 km² (40.2 mi²). 103.7 km² (40.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.27% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 59,734 people, 25,274 households, and 15,417 families residing in the city. The population density is 575.9/km² (1,491.6/mi²). There are 27,643 housing units at an average density of 266.5/km² (690.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 81.99% White, 14.88% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.86% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. 2.07% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 25,274 households out of which 27.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% are married couples living together, 15.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% are non-families. 33.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.28 and the average family size is 2.87.
In the city the population is spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $32,577, and the median income for a family is $39,552. Males have a median income of $31,346 versus $22,736 for females. The per capita income for the city is $19,142. 13.4% of the population and 10.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 20.3% of those under the age of 18 and 6.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
Template:Geolinks-US-cityscale History of Anderson, Indiana (http://www.cityofanderson.com/history.aspx)