Everything about Lafayette Indiana totally explained
Lafayette is a city in
Tippecanoe County,
Indiana,
U.S., 63 miles (101 km) northwest of
Indianapolis. Population in 1900, 18,116; in 1910, 20,081; in 1920, 22,486; and in 1940, 28,798 people. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,397. The city is the
county seat of
Tippecanoe County.
West Lafayette, just across the
Wabash River, is home to
Purdue University, which has a large impact on both communities. Together, Lafayette and West Lafayette form the core of the Lafayette, IN
Metropolitan Statistical Area, which, as of the 2000 census, had a total population of 183,340; Lafayette is thus the
215th largest metropolitan area in the
United States.
History
Miami Indians known as the Ouiatenon or
Weas. The French government established
Fort Ouiatenon in 1717 across the
Wabash River and three miles (5 km) south of the location of present-day Lafayette. The fort became the center of trade for fur trappers, merchants and Indians. An annual
reenactment and festival known as
The Feast of the Hunters' Moon takes place there each fall.
Lafayette was
platted by the river trader William Digby, in May 1825. The town was made county seat for the newly formed
Tippecanoe County soon after in 1826. Like many small frontier towns, Lafayette was officially named for
General Lafayette, a French military hero who fought with and significantly aided the American Army during the
American Revolutionary War (
September 6,
1757—
May 20,
1834).
In its earliest days Lafayette was a shipping center on the Wabash River. The
Wabash and Erie Canal in the 1840s further cemented Lafayette's regional prominence, which was also escalated by the arrival of the
railroads in the 1850s. The
Monon Railroad connected Lafayette with other sections of Indiana.
Lafayette was the site of the first official air mail delivery in the United States, which took place on
August 17,
1859, when
John Wise piloted a balloon starting on the Lafayette courthouse grounds. Wise hoped to reach
New York; however, weather conditions forced the balloon down near
Crawfordsville, Indiana, and the mail reached its final destination by train. In 1959, the U.S. Postal Service issued a 7¢
airmail stamp commemorating the centennial of the event.
Modern history owes a fair debt to Robert Kriebel, a reporter since retired from the
Lafayette Journal and Courier
newspaper. By way of his books and columns the curious are provided a convenient, accessible, and even colorful way to grasp the events around and preceding him.
Old Lafayette in two volumes is highly recommended. For further reading, the curious might look into some other notable historians of Lafayette appearing below. These were compiled by Kriebel for his "short list" as provided in the Lafayette Bank & Trust's
The Best of Lafayette (2000):
Sandford C. Cox, Richard P. DeHart, Sallie Sample, Sarah M. Crockett, Thomas B. Helm, Jesse Henderson Levering, Paul K. Mavity, Logan Esarey, and Herbery H. Heimlich.
Geography
Lafayette is located at (40.410585, -86.874681) and lies in Fairfield and Wea Townships. Elevation at the court house is, but city elevations range from a little over 500 feet at the Wabash River to approximately in the areas of Murdock Park and Columbian Park.
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.1
square miles (52.0
km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 56,397 people, 24,060 households, and 13,666 families residing in the city. The
population density was 2,806.5 people per square mile (1,083.9/km²). There were 25,602 housing units at an average density of 1,274.1/sq mi (492.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.91%
White, 3.22%
African American, 0.37%
Native American, 1.22%
Asian, 0.04%
Pacific Islander, 4.61% from
other races, and 1.62% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 9.11% of the population.
There were 24,060 households out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were
married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.2% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 14.2% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,859, and the median income for a family was $45,480. Males had a median income of $32,892 versus $23,049 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $19,217. About 8.0% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 15.8% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.
Like most of Indiana, Lafayette has been dominated by the agriculture, manufacturing, and transportation industries.
Education
Colleges
Public
K-12 public education in the Lafayette area is provided by the
Lafayette School Corporation.
New Community School is a tuition-free elementary
charter school (sponsored by
Ball State University) located in downtown Lafayette.
Private
Faith Christian School (External Link)
First Assembly Christian Academy
Lafayette Christian School (External Link)
Central Catholic Junior/Senior High School *(External Link)
St. Boniface Middle School (External Link)
St. Lawrence Catholic School (External Link)
St. Mary Cathedral Elementary School (External Link)
St. James Lutheran School
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Further Information
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