Crawfordsville, Indiana

Crawfordsville is a city in Montgomery County in west central Indiana, U.S., 49 mi. west by northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 15,915. The city is the county seat of Montgomery County, the only chartered city and largest populated place in the county. Crawfordsville is part of a broader Indianapolis combined statistical area, although the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area is only thirty miles north.  It is home to Wabash College, which was ranked by Forbes as #12 in the United States for undergraduate studies in 2008.

The city was founded in 1823 on the bank of Sugar Creek, a southern tributary of the Wabash River and named for U.S. Treasury Secretary William H. Crawford.

History
Crawfordsville was founded adjacent to Sugar Creek, a southern tributary of the Wabash River, in 1823 by Virginian Major Ambrose Whitlock, U.S. Army, who served under Gen. "Mad" Anthony Wayne in the Northwest Indian War.  The city was named for fellow Virginian William H. Crawford, who was Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Madison and Monroe at that time.  Whitlock was the first settler in the town.

Early 19th century
 
In 1813, Williamson Dunn, Henry Ristine, and Major Ambrose Whitlock noted that the site of present-day Crawfordsville was ideal for settlement, surrounded by deciduous forest and potentially arable land, with water provided by a nearby creek, later named Sugar Creek. They returned a decade later to find at least one cabin built. In 1821, William and Jennie Offield had built a cabin on a little creek, later to be known as Offield Creek, four miles southwest of the future site of Crawfordsville.

Major Whitlock laid out the town in March 1823. Crawfordsville was named in honor of William H. Crawford, a native Virginian who was the cabinet officer who had issued Whitlock's commission as Receiver of Public Lands.

According to a diary of Sanford C. Cox, one of the first schoolmasters in the area, in 1824: "Crawfordsville is the only town between Terre Haute and Fort Wayne... Maj. Ristine keeps tavern in a two-story log house and Jonathan Powers has a little grocery. There are two stores, Smith's near the land office, and Issac C. Elston's, near the tavern... David Vance [is the] sheriff.

It was successfully incorporated as a town in 1834, following a failed attempt three years earlier. 
 
In November 1832, Wabash College was founded in Crawfordsville as "The Wabash Teachers Seminary and Manual Labor College". On December 18, 1833, the Crawfordsville Record carried a paid announcement of the opening of this school. Today, it is one of only three remaining all-male liberal arts colleges in the country and has a student body of around 900.

In 1842, 9-year-old Horace Hovey discovered remarkably well-preserved Pentacrinites or Crinoids along the banks of Sugar Creek, which drew researchers and fossil enthusiasts to the area.

Crawfordsville grew in size and amenities, adding such necessities as a bank and fire department.  It gained status as a city in 1865, when Indiana granted its charters.

Late 19th century
In 1862, Joseph F. Tuttle, after whom Tuttle Grade School was named in 1906 and Tuttle Junior High School (now Crawfordsville Middle School) was named in 1960, became President of Wabash College and served for 30 years. "He was an eloquent preacher, a sound administrator and an astute handler of public relations." Joseph Tuttle, together with his administrators, worked to improve relations in Crawfordsville between "Town and Gown".

Several future and past Civil War generals lived in Crawfordsville at different times.  Generals Lew Wallace and Mahlon D. Manson spent most their lives in the town.  Generals Edward Canby and John P. Hawkins spent some of their youth in Crawfordsville. General Henry B. Carrington lived in the town after the war and taught military science at Wabash College.  Several other future generals were students at Wabash before the war, including Joseph J. Reynolds, John C. Black (brevet brigadier), Speed S. Fry, Charles Cruft, and William H. Morgan.

In 1880, prominent local citizen Lew Wallace produced Crawfordsville's most famous literary work, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, a historical novel dealing with the beginnings of Christianity in the Mediterranean world.  In addition to Wallace, Crawfordsville lived up to its nickname "The Athens of Indiana" by being the hometown of a number of authors, including Maurice Thompson, Mary Hannah Krout, Caroline Virginia Krout, Susan Wallace, Will H. Thompson, and Meredith Nicholson.

Hoosiers have long believed that the first basketball game in Indiana occurred in Crawfordsville YMCA between the teams from Crawfordsville's and Lafayette's YMCAs on March 16, 1894.  Recent research, however, conclusively shows that while Crawfordsville was among the first dozen or so Indiana communities to adopt the sport, it was not the first place basketball was played in Indiana.  Nevertheless, Crawfordsville had a vibrant basketball playing culture from early on with teams from the local YMCA, Wabash College, Crawfordsville High School, and a business college competing against each other.  Crawfordsville was also the site for one of the earliest intercollegiate basketball games between Wabash College and Purdue University in 1894 at the city's YMCA.

In 1882, one of the first Rotary Jails in the country opened. It served from 1882 until 1972. The Montgomery County Jail and Sheriff's Residence is now a museum and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

20th century

The beginning of the 20th century marked important steps for Crawfordsville, as Culver Union Hospital and the Carnegie Library were built in 1902. Culver operated as a not-for-profit, municipally-owned facility for 80 years, was then sold to for-profit American Medical International, and in 1984 was relocated from its original location near downtown to a new campus north of the city.  The hospital's ownership was transferred to Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, Inc. in 2000 and renamed St. Clare Medical Center; in 2011, it was again renamed Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health - Crawfordsville. The Carnegie Library was converted into a local museum and the public library has since moved across the street. In 1911, Crawfordsville High School was founded, and promptly won the state's first high school basketball title. Crawfordsville's major employer for much of the century, commercial printer RR Donnelley, began operations in Crawfordsville in 1922.

Recent history has held few nationally noteworthy events for the city, but much internal change. Nucor Steel, Alcoa CSI, Raybestos Products Company, Pace Dairy Foods, and Random House have all created factories in or near Crawfordsville which provided employment to much of the population.  Manpower has taken over as the primary employer in the city and has allowed most of the local companies to reduce employees.  In 2008, Raybestos laid off the majority of its workforce with less than 100 employees left.  Wabash College won the Division III NCAA basketball title in 1982. The college plays an annual football game against Depauw University for the Monon Bell, one of the oldest rivalries in all college sports. In 1998, the state began a proposed project to widen U.S. Route 231, in an attempt to ease intrastate travel flow.

21st century
In 2005, the Crawfordsville District Public Library moved into a new building across the street from the city's Carnegie library.  The library retained ownership of the old building and re-opened it as the Carnegie Museum of Montgomery County in 2007.

On May 8, 2007, approximately a quarter-block of historic buildings in the 100 block of South Washington Street was burned in a major fire. A woman in one of the buildings reported the fire. One person, Leslie Eric Largent, died in the fire. The fire was covered by the press statewide. Two buildings, built circa 1882, were completely destroyed: one that housed the Silver Dollar Bar (formerly Tommy Kummings' Silver Dollar Tavern); the other contained the New York Shoe Repair and Bargain Center at the corner of Pike and Washington streets. Above the shoe store were several apartments where residents were sleeping. On May 22, the fire was ruled to have been an act of arson.

In 2015, Crawfordsville won a Stellar Community grant from Indiana Office of Community & Rural Affairs.

On May 17, 2018, a new clock tower built by Kentucky-based Campbellsville Industries was put into place on the courthouse's original clock tower base. The original clock tower was taken down in 1941 due to structural concerns. The clock tower was made possible by the Montgomery County Courthouse Clock Tower Committee and its fundraising efforts spanning more than twenty years. The clock tower was dedicated on June 17, and the bells and chimes were sounded for the first time.

National Register of Historic Places

As of 2016, Crawfordsville has twelve properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Three of the properties are currently museums: Gen. Lew Wallace Study, Henry S. Lane House, and Montgomery County Jail and Sheriff's Residence.  Two of the properties are historic districts: Crawfordsville Commercial Historic District, and Elston Grove Historic District. Two listings are active churches: Bethel AME Church of Crawfordsville, and Saint John's Episcopal Church.  The others properties are currently used as a law office (Otto Schlemmer Building), senior apartments and recreation center (Crawfordsville High School), a private residence (McClelland-Layne House), the headquarters of the local Daughters of the American Revolution chapter (Col. Isaac C. Elston House), and a former hospital renovated for senior apartments Culver Union Hospital.

Geography
Crawfordsville is located at  (40.038831, -86.896755).  According to the 2010 census, Crawfordsville has a total area of , all land.   Crawfordsville is located in west-central Indiana, about an hour west-northwest of Indianapolis, the state's capital and largest city. While the Crawfordsville Micropolitan Area is not yet formally a part of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area, it is considered a part of the wider Indianapolis Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Indianapolis marketing area.

Demographics

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 15,915 people, 6,396 households, and 3,837 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 7,154 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.1% White, 1.7% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 3.3% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.2% of the population.

There were 6,396 households of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.0% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14% 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 2.91.

The median age in the city was 36.6 years. 22.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 13.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24% were from 25 to 44; 23.4% were from 45 to 64, and 16.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.1% male and 49.9% female.

2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 15,243 people, 6,117 households, and 3,664 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,819.4 people per square mile (702.3/km²). There were 6,623 housing units at an average density of 790.5 per square mile (305.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.02% White, 1.61% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 2.39% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.25% of the population.

There were 6,117 households out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the city, the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 13.4% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,571, and the median income for a family was $43,211. Males had a median income of $32,834 versus $22,093 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,945. About 10.0% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.

Industry
Crawfordsville is the home of the world's first thin-slab casting minimill (steel manufacturing plant that recycles scrap steel using an electric arc-furnace).  Nucor Steel broke ground on its first sheet steel mill and first galvanizing line at its billion-dollar Crawfordsville facility in 1987. 

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company started a printing plant in Crawfordsville in 1921, which continues to employ many local residents. The plant name changed to LSC Communications in October 2016 when RR Donnelley & Sons separated into three separate companies.

Education
Most of the city lies within the Crawfordsville Community Schools school district, while parts of northern Crawfordsville are in North Montgomery Community School Corporation and very small sections of south Crawfordsville are in South Montgomery Community School Corporation.

Universities and colleges
 Wabash College
 Ivy Tech Community College (Crawfordsville)

Media

Crawfordsville is among the smallest cities in the United States to have two daily newspapers, The Paper and the Journal Review.

Transportation

Rail

Currently, Amtrak provides service to Crawfordsville.  Amtrak Train 51, the westbound Cardinal, is scheduled to depart Crawfordsville at 7:28 am on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday; Amtrak Train 851, the westbound Hoosier State, is scheduled to depart Crawfordsville at 7:28 am on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Both trains go to Lafayette, Rensselaer, Dyer and Chicago Union Station to connect with other trains.

Amtrak Train 50, the eastbound Cardinal, is scheduled to depart Dyer at 10:30 pm on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday with service to Indianapolis, Connersville, Cincinnati, Maysville, South Portsmouth, Ashland, Huntington, Charleston, Montgomery, Thurmond, Prince, Hinton, Alderson, White Sulphur Springs, Clifton Forge, Staunton, Charlottesville, Culpeper, Manassas, Alexandria, and Washington, D.C. and continuing on to New York City.

Amtrak Train 850, the eastbound Hoosier State, is scheduled to depart Dyer at 10:30 pm on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with service to Indianapolis.

Until 1967, passenger service was provided by the Monon Railroad, providing service to Chicago, Lafayette, Greencastle and Bloomington, Indiana.
The Monon railroad was merged into the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in 1971.

Airport
KCFJ - Crawfordsville Regional Airport

Crawfordsville is served by the Crawfordsville Regional Airport (KCFJ). Located four miles south of the city, the airport handles approximately 6,383 operations per year, with 100% general aviation and <1% air taxi. The airport has a 5,505-foot asphalt runway with approved GPS and NDB approaches (Runway 4-22).

Notable people 

 Joseph P. Allen - mission specialist on the first fully operational flight of the Space Shuttle in 1982
 Albert Barnes Anderson - Judge for U.S. District Court 1902-25 & U.S. Court of Appeals 1925-38
 "Curly Bill" Brocius - Old West outlaw, evidence stating his birthplace as Crawfordsville is tenuous
 Edward Richard Sprigg Canby - Union general in the American Civil War; attended local Wabash College as a student.
 Henry Beebee Carrington - Union general during the Civil War
 Joseph Stephen Crane - restaurateur of Luau and Kon Tiki restaurants; actor; husband to actresses Lana Turner (1942–44) and Martine Carol (1948–53)
 Sidney and Wilbur de Paris - brothers, jazz musicians
 Beatrice Schenk de Regniers - children's books author
 Dick Dietz - professional baseball player
 Leroy Edwards - 1940s University of Kentucky and professional basketball player
 Isaac Compton Elston, Sr. - land speculator, banker, patriarch of Crawfordsville's pre-eminent family
 Dave Gerard - cartoonist created "Will-Yum" and "Citizen Smith", also served as Crawfordsville mayor 
 Bayless W. Hanna - Indiana Attorney General (1870–72), U.S. Minister to Argentina (1885–89), publisher of the Crawfordsville Review (1883–85)
 Elizabeth Boynton Harbert - 19th-century American author, lecturer, reformer and philanthropist, born and grew up in Crawfordsville.
 John Parker Hawkins - lived in Crawfordsville as a boy, career Army officer, became a Union brigadier general during the Civil War 
 Bill Holman - cartoonist, creator of Smokey Stover
 James Brian Hellwig (1959-2014) - professional wrestler, best known as The Ultimate Warrior
 Kent Kessler - avant garde jazz bassist
 Caroline Virginia Krout - author
 Mary Hannah Krout - journalist and author
 Eleanor Lambert - head of NYC Fashion Institute, sister of Ward Lambert
 Janet Lambert - author of young adult fiction
 Ward Lambert - Purdue University's basketball coach from 1916–1917, 1918–1946, National Basketball League Commissioner, Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member, brother of Eleanor Lambert
 Henry S. Lane - United States Senator, Governor of Indiana, and pallbearer for Abraham Lincoln
 Stephen A. Love - musician
 Mahlon D. Manson - Union Army brigadier general, Indiana Lieutenant Governor (1885–86), U.S. Representative (1871–73), resident of Crawfordsville
 James W. Marshall - gold miner who set off the California Gold Rush.
 Joseph E. McDonald - lawyer, U.S. Representative (1849–50), U.S. Senator (1875-81)
 Caleb Mills - author of the free school bill of Indiana, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, first professor at Wabash College
 James Atwell Mount - Governor of Indiana from 1897–1901
 Kenyon Nicholson - playwright and screenwriter
 Meredith Nicholson - author (The House of a Thousand Candles, A Hoosier Chronicle), politician, diplomat
 Robert B. F. Peirce - U.S. Representative (1881–83)
 Allen Saunders - cartoonist, wrote Steve Roper, and Mary Worth
 Ferdinand Louis Schlemmer - artist
 Will Shortz - The New York Times puzzle writer
 Maurice Thompson - author, poet, naturalist, State Geologist, popularized archery as a sport
 William Wheeler Thornton - author, State Supreme Court librarian, Indiana Deputy Attorney General, Crawfordsville City Attorney
 Randal Turner - opera singer; baritone
 Dick Van Dyke - actor, briefly attended Tuttle Middle School in Crawfordsville
 Lew Wallace - Union general in the Civil War and author of Ben-Hur; Governor of New Mexico Territory from 1878 to 1881; served as U.S. Minister to the Ottoman Empire from 1881 to 1885; resided in Crawfordsville; attended Wabash College.
 Susan Wallace - author and poet, wife of Lew Wallace
 Maurine Dallas Watkins - author of Chicago; Hollywood screenwriter
 Howdy Wilcox - Indianapolis 500 racing pioneer, winner of the 1919 Indy 500
 Mary Holloway Wilhite (1831–1892) - physician and philanthropist
 Henry Lane Wilson - U.S. diplomat and Ambassador to Mexico, son of James Wilson
 James Wilson - politician, United States Representative from Indiana and United States Ambassador to Venezuela
 John L. Wilson - politician, United States Representative and Senator from Washington, son of James Wilson

Footnotes

External links
 City of Crawfordsville
 Community Profile
 Crawfordsville District Public Library
 Crawfordsville Star, Google news archive. —PDFs of 1,180 issues, dating from 1872 through 1898.
 Daily News-Review, Google news archive. —PDFs of 1,050 issues, dating from 1900 through 1903.
 Crawfordsville Review, Google news archive. —PDFs of 765 issues, dating from 1911 through 1928.

Category: Cities in Indiana
Category: Micropolitan areas of Indiana
Category: Cities in Montgomery County, Indiana
Category: County seats in Indiana