Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette (
IPA: ) is a city in
Tippecanoe County,
Indiana, 74 miles (119 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.
Lafayette is located at (40.410585, -86.874681).
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 52.0
km² (20.1
mi²), all land.
The area around what is now Tippecanoe County was inhabited by a tribe of
Miami Indians known as the Ouiatenon or
Weas. The French government established
Fort Ouiatenon in 1717 across the
Wabash River and three miles 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 the French general,
Marquis de Lafayette (September 6, 1757â€"May 20, 1834) who aided the American armies during the Revolutionary War.
In its earliest days Lafayette was a shipping center on the Wabash River. The
Wabash and Erie Canal in the 1840's further cemented Lafayette's regional prominence and was escalated by the arrival of the
railroads in the 1850's.
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.
 |
Downtown Lafayette from the Main Street pedestrian bridge |
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 1,083.9/km² (2,806.5/mi²). There were 25,602 housing units at an average density of 492.0/km² (1,274.1/mi²). 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.
Ivy Tech Community College of IndianaIndiana Business CollegePublic education in the Lafayette area is provided by the
Lafayette School Corporation. The district consists of the following schools:
High SchoolsJefferson Middle SchoolsTecumseh SunnysideElementary SchoolsAmelia EarhartEdgeleaGeorge R DurganGlen AcresLinnwoodMiamiMurdockOaklandThomas Miller VintonIn the surrounding area can be found other schools including independent,
Tippecanoe County, Indiana, and the
West Lafayette, Indiana school systems. Some competition exists within their given proximity. Lafayette's school system has built a reputation for extracurricular programs, especially its band and choral programs. The Marching Bronchos, under the direction of Thomas W. Barker, Jr., have qualified for
ISSMA State Marching Band Finals seven times since 1983 and have performed in Hollywood, Philadelphia, Orlando, and Hawaii. The
wind ensemble has qualified for
ISSMA State Concert Band Finals for the past seven years. The concert choir, Varsity Singers, under the direction of Jeff Vallier and John Satterfield, has qualified for
ISSMA State Concert Choir Finals for the past 13 years, receiving second-place honors three times. The show choir First Edition is nationally known, including performances in New York, Mexico, Disney World and the Bahamas, and has been recognized on four occasions in the past twenty-one years by the
Indiana General Assembly for outstanding achievements in musical performance and community contributions.. West Lafayette and the Catholic School Systems are known for their high test scores. Many county schools are newer and thus have not had opportunity to display their excellence.
LinksJeff BandsJeff ChoirsAirports*
Purdue University Airport, West Lafayette
Highways*
Interstate Highway 65 to
Gary, Indiana (near
Chicago) and
Indianapolis*
U.S. Highway 52 to
Joliet, Illinois (also near Chicago) and Indianapolis
*
U.S. Highway 231 *
Indiana state highways 25, 26, 38
Railroads*
Amtrak passenger rail service
*
Norfolk Southern,
CSX,
Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad, and
Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway (
RailAmerica) freight rail service
Bus Service*CityBus local bus service by the
Greater Lafayette Public Transportation Corporation*
Greyhound intercity bus service
Much of the economy of the city of Lafayette and the surrounding area is centered around the academic and industrial activities of
Purdue University. The university and its associated businesses employ the largest portion of the Lafayette workforce. However, private industry and commerce independent of the university also thrive in the community. Some notable examples include:
*
Alcoa, a producer of aluminum extrusions and tubes.
*
Caterpillar Large Engine Division, producer of large diesel and natural gas engines.
*
Fairfield Manufacturing, producer of gears.
*
Wabash National, world's largest manufacturer of semi-truck trailers
*
Subaru of Indiana Automotive, producer of
Subaru and now,
Toyota vehicles.
*
Eli Lilly and Company (Tippecanoe Laboratories) pharmaceuticals.
* The Lafayette Life Insurance Company, insurance and annuity services
* Tate & Lyle, manufacturer of Splenda(R) and other sweeteners
* TRW Commercial Steering Systems
*
Landis+Gyr, manufacturer of electric meters for global ANSI markets, see
www.landisgyr.us for more information
For notable residents associated with Purdue University see List of Purdue University people*
William "Dick the Bruiser" Afflis - Professional wrestler
*
Roger D. Branigin - Indiana
Govenor 1965-
1969*
Jeremy Camp - Christian recording artist
*
Embeth Davidtz - Actress
*
Amelia Earhart - Female
aviator and faculty member of
Purdue University*
Ray Ewry - Ten-time
Olympic champion
*
Mass Giorgini - Record producer and bassist of
Screeching Weasel, and bassist and vocalist of
Squirtgun*
Shannon Hoon - Lead band member of
Blind Melon*
Brian Lamb -
C-SPAN founder
*
Tammy Lynn Michaels - Actress; married to musician
Melissa Etheridge*
Chuckie Nwokorie -
NFL defensive player and Lafayette Jefferson High School graduate
*
Sydney Pollack - Actor, director, and producer
*
Axl Rose -
Guns N' Roses singer
*
Izzy Stradlin -
Guns N' Roses rhythm guitarist*
Adam Vanderwielen - Actor [
1]
*
Bob Rohrman - Car dealer and local celebrity
*
Peter Sattler -
graphic designer for the feature film
Walk the Line[
2]
*
Karen Black - Actress
*
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette
*
Jerry E. Clegg Botanic Garden*
Horticulture Gardens at
Purdue University*
Lafayette Farmer's Market in historic downtown (May through October)
*
Ninth Street Hill Historic District* Tippecanoe Battlefield (in
Battle Ground, IN)
* Farmer's Institute (Friends Meeting House)
*
Wolf Park (
Battle Ground, IN)
*
The Feast of the Hunters' Moon (Mid to Late September or Early October)
*
Taste of Tippecanoe (Mid June)
*
Colt World Series (August)
* Indiana Fiddlers' Gathering (in Battle Ground, IN; June)
*
First Edition's Haunted Feargrounds (October)
*
Lafayette Citizens Band concerts, Thursdays in the summer*
Official website*
Lafayette Online*
Lafayette Journal and Courier (Local newspaper, owned by
Gannett)
