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Anderson, Indiana
Coordinates: 40°6'0"N 85°40'53"W
Time zone
ZIP codes Area code(s) 765
Prior to the organization of Madison County, William Conner entered the land upon which Anderson is located. Conner later sold the ground to John and Sarah Berry, who donated 32 acres (129,000 m²) of their land to Madison County on the condition that the county seat would be moved from Pendleton to Anderson. John Berry laid out the first plat of Anderson on November 7, 1827. In 1828 the seat of justice was moved from Pendleton to Anderson.
The city
is named for Chief William Anderson, whose mother was a Delaware
Indian (Lenape) and whose father was of Swedish descent. Chief
Anderson's Indian name was Kikthawenund (spelled in a variety of
ways) meaning "making a noise" or "causing to
crack." The Delaware village was known as Anderson's Town,
though the Moravian Missionaries called it "The Heathen Town
Four Miles Away." Anderson was also known as Andersonton before
being formally organized as Anderson.
Introduction
of internal improvements by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act
caused a growth in the population in 1837. In December, 1838,
Anderson was incorporated as a town with 350 inhabitants. The Central
Canal, a branch of the Wabash and Erie Canal, was planned to come
through Anderson. Work continued on the canal during 1838 and the
beginning of 1839, but work on the canal was soon suspended by the
state following the Panic of 1837.
This incorporation was short-lived and Anderson once again went back to village status in 1852. However, with the completion of the Indianapolis Bellefontaine Railroad, as well as their station in 1852, Anderson burst to life. The third incorporation of Anderson as a town occurred on June 9, 1853. The population continued to increase. On August 28, 1865, with a population was nearly 1,300 people, Anderson was incorporated as a city. Between 1853 and the late 1800s, twenty industries of various sizes located there. On March 31, 1887, natural gas was discovered in Anderson. As the Indiana Gas Boom began, this discovery led new businesses that could use natural gas, such as glass-making, to move to the city. Anderson grew to such proportions that a Cincinnati newspaper editor labeled the city "The Pittsburgh on White River." Other appellations were "Queen City of the Gas Belt" and (because of the vulcanizing and the rubber tire manufacturing business) "Puncture Proof City." In 1897 the Interurban Railroad was born in Anderson. Charles Henry, a large stock holder, coined the term "Interurban" in 1893. It continued to operate until 1941. The year 1912 spelled disaster for Anderson: the natural gas ran out, due to the residents squandering their resources. The city left its gas powered lights on day and night, and there are stories of a pocket of natural gas being lit in the river and burning for a prolonged period for the spectacle of it. The result of the loss of natural gas was that several factories moved out. 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 there. For decades, Delco Remy and Guide Lamp (later Fisher Guide) were the top two employers in the city. From 1913 through the 1950s, the Ward-Stilson Company was one of the country's largest producers of uniforms, regalia, furniture and props for the Freemasons, the Odd Fellows and dozens of other U.S. fraternal organizations. The Church of God of Anderson located its world headquarters in Anderson in 1905. Anderson Bible School was opened in 1917, and this was separated from Gospel Trumpet (now known as Warner Press) in 1925. At the same time, it became known as Anderson Bible School and Seminary. In 1925, the name was changed to Anderson College and then to Anderson University in 1988.
Over the
years, 17 different types of automobiles were manufactured in
Anderson with the Lambert family among the city's leaders in its
development and Buckeye Gasoline Buggy the Lambert product. Many
other inventions were perfected in Anderson including: the gas
regulator (Miron G. Reynolds), the stamp vending machine (Frank P.
Dunn), clothes presser (H. Donald Forse), Irish Mail (Hugh Hill),
flower car for funeral homes (Francis M. McClain, automatic gearshift
(Von D. Polhemus)), Sisson choke (Glenn Sisson), and the vulcanizing
process to retreads tires (Charles E. Miller). Recently, Anderson was
named "Most Toxic City in Indiana" by The Sierra Club after
a chemical spill killed thousands of fish in the White River. The city of Anderson is located in parts of four townships: Anderson, Union, Richland, and Lafayette.
According
to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 40.2
square miles (104.0 km²), of which, 40.0 square miles (103.7
km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it
(0.27%) is water. The city offers a wide range of recreational facilities from movies, shopping, dining, and sports. There is a local golf course as well. There are many parks in the area offering a host of facilities for a variety of activities. Points of interest in Anderson, Indiana
Paramount
Theatre (Anderson, Indiana)
Mounds
State Park
The
Anderson Center for the Arts The museum specializes in collecting Indiana and contemporary art. The Madison County History Center As of the census of 2000, there were 59,734 people, 25,274 households, and 15,417 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,491.6 people per square mile (575.9/km²). There were 27,643 housing units at an average density of 690.3/sq mi (266.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 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. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population. There were 25,274 households out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.87. In the city the population was 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 were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.
The
median income for a household in the city was $32,577, and the median
income for a family was $39,552. Males had a median income of $31,346
versus $22,736 for females. The per capita income for the city was
$19,142. About 10.8% of families and 13.4% of the population were
below the poverty line, including 20.3% of those under age 18 and
6.7% of those age 65 or over.
The city
government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is
elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of nine members.
Six are elected from individual districts. Two members and a city
council president are elected at large. In 2007, Anderson was ranked 98th in the Forbes List for 100 Best Places for Businesses among Smaller U.S. Metro areas.
When
General Motors closed its operations in Anderson, the city lost
30,000 jobs. Anderson's Public school district is the Anderson Community School Corporation, which includes two high schools, two middle schools, and seven elementary schools. Anderson University and Indiana Business College are local institutions where one can pursue higher education.
Anderson
University is an accredited private Christian liberal arts
college in Anderson, Indiana. The college is affiliated with the
Church of God of Anderson, Indiana. Anderson University is a member
of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, and the
Independent Colleges of Indiana society. Anderson University has been
selected as one of America's Best Colleges by U.S. News & World
Report in recent years.[4] Anderson University has consistently
received "Dean's Choice" recognition as the #1 business
school for institutions at a top tier Christian university nationwide
from Business Reform magazine. The title of one of the books in the fictional series in the comic strip Peanuts, "The Six Bunny Wunnies", is The Six Bunnie-Wunnies and Their Layover in Anderson, Indiana.
Anderson
is the home of several of the characters in the alternate history
novel, The Man with the Iron Heart, by Harry Turtledove. Jermaine Allensworth, athlete Lowell Amos, convicted "Black Widower" murderer. Melvin E. Biddle, World War II Medal of Honor recipient James Davis, politician, Secretary of Labor Winfield Durbin, politician, former Governor of Indiana Carl Erskine, Brooklyn Dodger pitcher, 1948 - 1960 Charles L. Henry, politician, congressman, coiner of the term "interurban" Orville Hodge, embezzler James Kilgore, Symbionese Liberation Army member John William Lambert, inventor of first successful U.S. gasoline automobile Adam Lind, athlete Mack Mattingly, politician, Georgia Senator Jon McLaughlin, singer Phill Niblock, composer and filmmaker Sandi Patty, singer James Rebhorn, actor Kris Roe (The Ataris), singer Krystal Harris, Singer Fred Mustard Stewart, author Max Terhune, actor Zach Bailey, athlete Ray Tolbert, athlete Albert Vestal, Majority Whip of the House of Representatives Louis J. Weichmann Bobby Wilkerson, athlete Jumping Johnny Wilson, athlete Everett N. Case, nicknamed "Gray Fox", was a basketball coach most notable for his tenure at North Carolina State University, from 1946 to 1964. Sidewalk Prophets, band
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