A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Elkhart County | |
|---|---|
 Elkhart County courthouse in Goshen, Indiana | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Indiana | |
 Indiana's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 41°36′N 85°52′W / 41.6°N 85.86°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Indiana |
| Founded | April 1, 1830 |
| Seat | Goshen |
| Largest city | Elkhart |
| Area | |
| • Total | 467.97 sq mi (1,212.0 km2) |
| • Land | 463.17 sq mi (1,199.6 km2) |
| • Water | 4.80 sq mi (12.4 km2) 1.03% |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 207,047 |
| • Estimate (2021) | 206,921 |
| • Density | 440/sq mi (170/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | www |
| Indiana county number 20 | |
Elkhart County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020[update], the county's population was 207,047.[1] The county seat is Goshen.[2] Elkhart County is part of the Elkhart-Goshen Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in turn is part of the South Bend-Elkhart-Mishawaka Combined Statistical Area. It is also considered part of the broader region of Northern Indiana known as Michiana, and is 20 miles (32 km) east of South Bend, Indiana, 110 miles (180 km) east of Chicago, Illinois, and 150 miles (240 km) north of Indianapolis, Indiana. The area is referred to by locals as the recreation vehicle (RV) capital of the world and is known for its sizable Amish and Old Order Mennonite population.[3]
History
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the area now within Elkhart County boundaries was mainly inhabited by the Potawatomi tribe. Pioneers began settling in the Elkhart Prairie in 1829 and in April 1830, Elkhart County was officially established with its original county seat in Dunlap. After reorganizing the county borders, the seat was moved to Goshen near the county's geographical center.[4]
Elkhart County was founded by immigrants from New England. These were old-stock "Yankee" immigrants, descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the 1600s. The completion of the Erie Canal in 1821 sparked a surge in immigration from New England to northern Indiana, which had become a state five years earlier. The end of the Black Hawk War in 1832 increased the immigration surge of immigration, again coming from New England as a result of overpopulation combined with land shortages in that region. Some of these later settlers were from upstate New York, whose relatives had moved to that region from New England shortly after the American Revolutionary War. New Englanders and New England transplants from upstate New York were the vast majority of Elkhart County's inhabitants during the first several decades of its history. These settlers were primarily members of the Congregational Church though due to the Second Great Awakening many of them had converted to Methodism and some had become Baptists before moving west. The Congregational Church subsequently has gone through many divisions, and some factions, including those in Elkhart County, are now known as the Church of Christ and the United Church of Christ. As a result of this heritage, most of Elkhart County supported the abolitionist movement before the American Civil War. Elkhart County provided substantial recruits for the Union Army. During the end of the nineteenth century, Irish and German migrants came to Elkhart County, although most did not come directly from Europe, but had stopped in other areas in the Midwest, such as Ohio.[5][6]
Name
The name Elkhart is a euphemization of "Elks-heart", which refers to the now extinct Eastern elk.[7] The name has been attached to the Elkhart River and surrounding area since at least 1749, when it was recorded in French as Coeur de cerf ("elk's heart") as the name of a Miami village there.[8] The place name in Miami-Illinois is mihšiiwiateehi ("elk's heart"). Later in the 18th century the area was inhabited by the Potawatomi; in the Potawatomi language, the place is likewise known as mzewəodeʔig, "at the elk heart".[9] The name may reflect a prehistoric association of the Elkhart area with the Kaskaskia people, whom the Miami called "elk hearts".[8]
Other explanations have been suggested. According to an account by two Miami leaders (Jean Baptiste Richardville and Le Gros) recorded in 1824, the name arose from two women fighting over an elk's heart that had been hung up to dry.[10] Alternatively, some historians including Jacob Piatt Dunn have associated the name with the shape of an island in the Elkhart River that is stated to resemble an elk's heart.[8] This theory has been carried on the city's website.[11]
A popular but non-historical account claims that the county was named after a Shawnee Indian chief named "Elkhart", who was ostensibly a cousin of the famous Chief Tecumseh, and father of "princess Mishawaka" (for whom, according to the story, neighboring Mishawaka is named).[12][13] This story originated in Legends of Michigan and the Old North West, an 1875 collection of historical fiction by Michigan politician Flavius J. Littlejohn.[14][15]
Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 467.97 square miles (1,212.0 km2), of which 463.17 square miles (1,199.6 km2) (or 98.97%) is land and 4.80 square miles (12.4 km2) (or 1.03%) is water.[16] The county sits in mostly rural farmland with rolling hills in its northeast corner. Those hills were formed by glaciers and are part of the St. Lawrence Seaway Continental Divide.[17]
The St. Joseph River, which flows from Michigan, across the Michigan border north of Bristol, is the main waterway in Elkhart County. The Elkhart River enters the county east of Millersburg and winds its way through Goshen and Dunlap to Island Park in Elkhart where it meets the St. Joseph. The Little Elkhart River flows into the county southeast of Middlebury and creates some scenic views in Bonneyville Mills County Park before emptying into the St. Joseph near Bristol. Numerous creeks wind their way through the countryside and several lakes, including Simonton Lake, dot the landscape.
Fifteen unincorporated communities also exist in the county. They are Benton, Bonneyville Mills, Dunlap, Foraker, Garden Village, Jimtown, Locke, Midway, New Paris, Nibbyville, Simonton Lake, Southwest, Vistula, and Waterford Mills.
Adjacent counties
- Cass County, Michigan (northwest)
- St. Joseph County, Michigan (northeast)
- LaGrange County (east)
- Noble County (southeast)
- Kosciusko County (south)
- Marshall County (southwest)
- St. Joseph County (west)
Communities
Cities
Towns
Townships
Census-designated places
Other unincorporated communities
Economy
Elkhart County is known as "The RV Capital of the World" because of its substantial recreational vehicle-based economy. Farming also plays a big role in the local economy. Tourism boosts the county's economy. Destinations such as Das Dutchman Essenhaus in Middlebury and Amish Acres in Nappanee along with annual events such as the Elkhart Jazz Festival, the Amish Acres Arts & Crafts Festival, and the Elkhart County 4-H Fair draw thousands of tourists annually. The Fair is the second largest county fair in the United States.[18]
Climate and weather
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In recent years, average temperatures in Goshen have ranged from a low of 17 °F (−8 °C) in January to a high of 85 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −24 °F (−31 °C) was recorded in January 1984 and a record high of 102 °F (39 °C) was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.77 inches (45 mm) in February to 4.05 inches (103 mm) in June.[19]
Government
The county is led by a board of three elected commissioners that serve as the executive branch of county government. The board also serves as the legislative branch in that it is responsible for ordinances.[20] The county council is made of seven elected members - one from each of the four council districts and three at large. The council is in charge of all monetary issues including appropriations and taxes.[21] There are Township Assessors for Baugo, Cleveland, Concord, Elkhart, Middlebury, and Osolo townships and a County Assessor to handle the remaining townships.[22]
Elkhart County is part of Indiana's 2nd congressional district; Indiana Senate districts 9, 11, and 12;[23] and Indiana House of Representatives districts 21, 22, 48, 49, and 82.[24]
Elkhart County has consistently been a Republican Party stronghold in presidential elections. In only three elections since 1888 has a Republican candidate failed to win the county, most recently in 1964.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 46,972 | 62.95% | 26,108 | 34.99% | 1,538 | 2.06% |
| 2016 | 41,867 | 63.21% | 20,740 | 31.31% | 3,629 | 5.48% |
| 2012 | 42,378 | 62.29% | 24,399 | 35.87% | 1,252 | 1.84% |
| 2008 | 39,396 | 55.00% | 31,398 | 43.83% | 840 | 1.17% |
| 2004 | 42,967 | 70.00% | 17,966 | 29.27% | 447 | 0.73% |
| 2000 | 36,756 | 67.46% | 16,402 | 30.11% | 1,324 | 2.43% |
| 1996 | 28,770 | 56.58% | 16,598 | 32.64% | 5,482 | 10.78% |
| 1992 | 27,920 | 53.50% | 14,660 | 28.09% | 9,604 | Zdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=Elkhart_County|