Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 January 1901 — Interesting Census Information. [ARTICLE]

Interesting Census Information.

The 1900 census bulletin showing the population of Indiana by counties and minor civil divisions contains much valuable information concerning our state. For the benefit of many of our readers who are not familiar with the early history of the state we briefly mention some of the more important historical matters: Indiana w.'S organized as a territory July 4.1800, and admitted as a state December 11, 1816. The present population of the .stato is more than 446 times as large as the population reported at the first census in 1800, when it was only 5,641. —^ The total land surface is, approximately 35,910 square miles, the average number of persons to the square mile now being 70.1. There have been no territorial changes in the counties during the last decade. Of the 92 counties in the state all but 14 have increased in population during the decade, the counties showing the largest percentages of increase being Madison, 93.1 per cent; Grant, 83.7 per cent; Delaware, 64.7 per cent; Blackford 64.5 per cent; Lake 58.6 per cent; and Stark 42.1 per cent. The counties showing a decrease in population for the decade Boone Brown, Carroll, Crawford, Dearborn, Franklin, Hendricks, Jefferson, Lagrange, Ohio, Putnam, Switzerland, Union, and Whitley. Indianapolis is the oldest of the principle cities of tho state, and was first enumerated separatly in 1840, when it hail 2,692 inhabitants. Evansville, Ft. Wayne, Terre Haute and South Bend are the four next largest [cities, following the Capital City in tho order named. They were first enumerated in 1850. The rate of increase exhibited these cities during the 5 succeeding decades has been continuous but fluctuating, except in the case of South Bend, which shows a progress both rapid and (constant, its rate of increase never 1 having been less than 64.3 per cent for any decade. Indianapolis gained 159.2 per cent in population between the years 1860 and 1870, but only 55.6 per cent in the next decade, ami 40.5 pet cent between 1880 and 1890; during tho last ten years, however, its population has increased from 105,436 to 169,164, or 60.04 per cent Evansville has added only 16.3 per cent to its population since 1890, although during the decade immediately preceding, it had gained 73.3 per cent. The greatest numerical increase (63,728) during the last decade has come to Indianapolis; the least (6,456) to Terre Haute The greatest rate of increase (65.0 per cent) is found in South Bend: tho least (16.3 per cent)in Evansville. . There are 399 incorporated places, 357 have less than 5,000 inhabitants, and 42 have more than 5,000. Of the iatter, 23 have between s,Oft) andlO.OOO; 14 have from 10.(8 KJ to 25.000, and 5 have more tliHn 25,000, namely, I luliauapolis, 169,161; Evansville, :>9,007. Ft Wuyu* . 15.115; Terre Haute, 36,6 »3; and South Bend, I 35 999 - i

In 1827 the gpnnty of Warren was organized ajnd embraced the territory now included in the counties of Warren, Benton, Jasper and Newton. In 1835 the county of Jasper was'organized and embraced the territory of what is now Jasper and Newton counties, with an area of 975 square miles. Jasper county was first enumerated in 1840, and at that time had a population of 1,267. Newton county was formed from the west part of Jasper in 1860, with an area of 395 square miles. The census of 1850 gave Jasper a population of 3,540, and the census of 1860 gave Jasper 4,291; Newt0n,2,360. Following shows censuses of Jasper from 1870 down: 1870,6,354; 1880, 9,464; 1890, 11,185; 1900, 14,292. Of the neighboring incorporated towns not previously published by us, Brook has a population of 677; Morocco, 920; and Wolcott 835.