Crown Point, Indiana
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Crown Point is a city located in Lake County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 19,806. The city is the county seat of Lake CountyTemplate:GR and was incorporated in 1868. On October 31, 1834, Solon Robinson and his family become first settlers to an area that later became Crown Point. Because of its location, Crown Point is known as the Hub of Lake County.
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History
On October 31, 1834, Solon Robinson and his family become the first settlers to stake a claim in the area that will eventually become Crown Point. In February, 1837 Lake County is incorporated into a county with Liverpool, Indiana as the county seat. Later that year Solon Robinson funded a $500 project to build a new wooden county courthouse in Crown Point and thus Crown Point becomes the county seat. However it wasn't until 1868 that Crown Point was actually incorporated into a city. In 1878 construction began on a new more impressive county court house and clock tower. This new court house, known as the Grand Old Lady was build in the center of town and would become the dominant feature of Crown Point (further additions to this courthouse would be made from 1907-1928). Campaigning for the presidency of the United States, William Jennings Bryan addressed a crowd from the steps of the court house in 1896. Crown Point was the site of Cobe Cup Car Race and one of its winners was Louis Chevrolet in 1909. On March 3, 1934, gangester John Dillinger escaped from the Crown Point Jail which was claimed to have been "escape-proof". Popular legend has it that Dillinger escaped by carving a fake gun out of a block of wood. Newspapers made fun of Crown Point's handling of Dilinger by dubbing the city Clown Point. The Old Lake County Courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and the new Lake County Government Center opened on the north side of the city the next year.
Because Crown Point had no waiting period for marriage licenses, the city became a popular place to get married and became known as the Marriage Mill. Many famous people came to Crown Point to be wed including Tom Mix, Rudolph Valentino, Cassius Clay and Ronald Reagan.
Crown Point boasts the largest county fair in Indiana and one of the largest in all of the midwest. The county fairgrounds located on the southern side of town is home to Lake County's only covered bridge, historic exhibition buildings and the grandstand of the former Cobe Cup race track.
Geography
Crown Point is located at 41°25'18" North, 87°21'22" West (41.421703, -87.356066)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 43.1 km² (16.6 mi²). 43.0 km² (16.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.06% is water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 19,806 people, 7,824 households, and 5,359 families residing in the city. The population density is 460.1/km² (1,191.7/mi²). There are 8,166 housing units at an average density of 189.7/km² (491.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 95.32% White, 1.41% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.98% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.02% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. 4.00% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 7,824 households out of which 29.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% are married couples living together, 8.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% are non-families. 27.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.45 and the average family size is 3.01.
In the city the population is spread out with 22.5% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $52,889, and the median income for a family is $64,274. Males have a median income of $50,090 versus $26,669 for females. The per capita income for the city is $24,568. 3.7% of the population and 2.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 3.9% of those under the age of 18 and 3.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Famous People from Crown Point
- Jerry L. Ross, astronaut
External links
- Crown Point Community School Corporation (http://www.cps.k12.in.us)
- http://www.crownpoint.net/history.htm