Charlestown, Indiana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coordinates: 38°27′7″N, 85°40′2″W
City of Charlestown, Indiana
Location in the state of Indiana
County	Clark
Government
- Mayor	Mike Hall
Area
- City	6.0 km² (2.3 sq mi)
- Land	6.0 km² (2.3 sq mi)
- Water	0.0 km² (0 sq mi)
Population (2000)
- City	5,993
- Density	993.1/km² (2,572.1/sq mi)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Website: www.cityofcharlestown.com

Charlestown is a city in Clark County, Indiana, United States. The population was 5,993 at the 2000 census.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 History
4 External links

[edit] Geography

Charlestown is located at 38°27′7″N, 85°40′2″W (38.451984, -85.667224)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.0 km² (2.3 mi²), all land.

[edit] Demographics

Charlestown town square

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 5,993 people, 2,341 households, and 1,615 families residing in the city. The population density was 993.1/km² (2,570.0/mi²). There were 2,489 housing units at an average density of 412.4/km² (1,067.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.91% White, 2.47% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 2.77% from other races, and 1.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.32% of the population.

There were 2,341 households out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.0% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,238, and the median income for a family was $35,592. Males had a median income of $27,240 versus $21,901 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,892. About 15.8% of families and 19.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.8% of those under age 18 and 17.8% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] History

Marker denoting first Grand Lodge in Indiana

Charlestown was established in 1808, named after one of its surveyors, Charles Beggs, upon three hundred acres, of which three were designated for a town square. It was established one mile northeast of Springville, and was responsible for Springville's demise.

Milling was important to the town, as the first mill was built in the area, on Fourteen Mile Creek, in 1804. This mill would be abandoned when John Work built a mill by use of a tunnel in 1814. Today, that mill is part of the Tunnel Mill Scout Reservation.

Charlestown was the home of the first Indiana state governor, Jonathan Jennings.

From 1811-1878 Charlestown was the county seat of Clark County, but as Jeffersonville had surpassed it economically, the county seat reverted back to Jeffersonville in 1878.

In 1818 the first Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons in Indiana met in Charlestown, due to Jonathan Jennings' influence.

In 1940 the population of Charlestown was 900, but it swelled to 13,400 due to the building and operation of the Indiana Army Ammunition Plant (INAAP). This created a housing problem, as chicken, wood, and wash houses had to house all the new residents that flocked to area for the jobs created by the INAAP. Additional problems caused by the rapid influx of new residents was improper sanitation at restaurants, inefficient sewers, gambling, panhandling, and diseases such as typhoid and malaria.