Switzerland County, Indiana

Switzerland County
County
Switzerland County Courthouse in Vevay
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
Indiana's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°49′N 85°02′W
Country	United States
State	Indiana
Founded	1814
Named for	Switzerland
Seat	Vevay
Largest town	Vevay
Area
• Total	223.44 sq mi (578.7 km^2)
• Land	220.63 sq mi (571.4 km^2)
• Water	2.81 sq mi (7.3 km^2)  1.26%
Population  (2020)
• Total	9,737
• Estimate  (2023)	10,019
• Density	44/sq mi (17/km^2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	9th
Website	www.switzerland-county.com
Indiana county number 78

Switzerland County is a county in the southeast corner of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 9,737.^[1] The county seat is Vevay,^[2] one of two incorporated towns in the county.

History

In 1787, the fledgling United States defined the Northwest Territory, which included the area of present-day Indiana. In 1800, Congress separated Ohio from the Northwest Territory, designating the rest of the land as the Indiana Territory.^[3] President Thomas Jefferson chose William Henry Harrison as the territory's first governor, and Vincennes was established as the territorial capital.^[4] After the Michigan Territory was separated and the Illinois Territory was formed, Indiana was reduced to its current size and geography.^[3] By December 1816 the Indiana Territory was admitted to the Union as a state.

Starting in 1794, Native American titles to Indiana lands were extinguished by usurpation, purchase, or war and treaty. The United States acquired land from the Native Americans in the 1809 treaty of Fort Wayne, and by the treaty of St. Mary's in 1818, the SE portion of Indiana Territory was acquired for settlement.

The area included in present-day Switzerland County was first placed in Knox County, formed in 1790. Parts of that extremely large county were partitioned off in 1803 to form Dearborn County and in 1810 to form Jefferson County. Settlers had been pouring into the extreme SE part of the Indiana Territory starting in 1795, and by 1814 there was sufficient population to form a local governing body. Accordingly, the state legislature authorized Switzerland County effective October 1, 1814, partitioning portions of Dearborn and Jefferson counties to make the creation. Four fledgling settlements were considered as the seat of government (Vevay, Little York [present-day Florence], Troy [present-day Patriot], and Center Square).^[5] Center Square was nearest the geographic center and was the presumed site, but Vevay carried the day.

Several early settlers were originally from Switzerland. The first was probably Heathcoat Pickett, in 1795. He was followed by John James Dufour (1796), and the Dickason, Cotton, and Rayl families in 1798. Pickett also made the area's first flatboats; he floated them (loaded with goods for sale) to New Orleans and sold the entire package, then walked back to Switzerland County. He made 20 such trips.^[5] Early county residents noted the passage of the first steamboat on the Ohio River in 1811; this form of transport quickly transformed the river into a conduit for commerce and travel.^[5] Although Indiana was criss-crossed with railroad tracks during the nineteenth century, none was laid to Switzerland County. This hindered its growth after the decline of steamboat travel.^[6][7]

Industrial wine grape production in Switzerland County earned the area the title "The Rhineland of America".^[8]

Geography

Switzerland County lies at the SE tip of Indiana, with its southeastern border defined by the Ohio River; the state of Kentucky abuts on the opposite shore. Its rolling hills were originally completely wooded. Its more flat areas have been cleared for agricultural or urban use, but its many drainages are still wooded.^[9] Its highest elevation (981 feet/299 meters ASL) is a hill in its NW quadrant, 0.7 miles (1.1 km) west of Avonburg.^[10]

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 223.44 square miles (578.7 km²), of which 220.63 square miles (571.4 km²) (or 98.74%) is land and 2.81 square miles (7.3 km²) (or 1.26%) is water.^[11]

Adjacent counties

• Ohio County - north
• Boone County, Kentucky - northeast
• Gallatin County, Kentucky - east
• Carroll County, Kentucky - south
• Jefferson County - west
• Ripley County - northwest

Incorporated towns

• Patriot
• Vevay (county seat)

Unincorporated towns

• Aaron
• Allensville
• Antioch
• Avonburg
• Bennington
• Braytown
• Center Square
• East Enterprise (census-designated place)
• Fairview
• Florence (census-designated place)
• Five Points
• Gurley Corner
• Jacksonville
• Lamb
• Long Run
• Markland
• Moorefield
• Mount Sterling
• Pleasant
• Quercus Grove
• Searcy Crossroads

Townships

• Cotton
• Craig
• Jefferson
• Pleasant
• Posey
• York

Highways

• Indiana State Road 56
• Indiana State Road 101
• Indiana State Road 129
• Indiana State Road 156
• Indiana State Road 250

Climate and weather

Vevay, Indiana
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     3.2     40 23     3     46 26     4.1     56 35     4.2     67 43     4.7     77 53     4.6     85 62     3.9     88 67     4     86 65     3.1     80 58     3.1     68 46     3.7     55 37     3.7     44 28 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches Source: The Weather Channel[12]
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     81     4 −5     76     8 −3     103     13 2     107     19 6     120     25 12     116     29 17     98     31 19     102     30 18     79     27 14     78     20 8     93     13 3     94     7 −2 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm

In recent years, average temperatures in Vevay have ranged from a low of 23 °F (−5 °C) in January to a high of 88 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −24 °F (−31 °C) was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of 106 °F (41 °C) was recorded in July 1999. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 3.00 inches (76 mm) in February to 4.72 inches (120 mm) in May.^[12]

Government

See also: Government of Indiana

The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana, and by the Indiana Code.

County Council: The legislative branch of the county government; controls spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected to four-year terms from county districts. They set salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.^[13][14]

Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county; commissioners are elected county-wide to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute acts legislated by the council, collect revenue, and manage the county government.^[13][14]

Court: The county maintains a circuit court which was established January 1, 2009. The first Judge of the Switzerland Circuit Court is W. Gregory Coy. The Judge is elected to a term of six years. The Court is a general jurisdiction court, meaning it handles all types of cases. The Judge must be a licensed attorney. All decisions of the Court are appealable to the Indiana Court of Appeals or the Indiana Supreme Court.

County Officials: The county has other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk. They are elected to four-year terms. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of the county.^[14]

Switzerland County is part of Indiana's 6th congressional district.^[15]

United States presidential election results for Switzerland County, Indiana^[16]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	3,133	75.33%	964	23.18%	62	1.49%
2016	2,558	68.97%	930	25.07%	221	5.96%
2012	1,872	55.11%	1,437	42.30%	88	2.59%
2008	1,940	53.30%	1,638	45.00%	62	1.70%
2004	2,161	58.87%	1,479	40.29%	31	0.84%
2000	1,831	56.53%	1,336	41.25%	72	2.22%
1996	1,266	39.72%	1,496	46.94%	425	13.34%
1992	1,211	35.74%	1,535	45.31%	642	18.95%
1988	1,572	51.39%	1,479	48.35%	8	0.26%
1984	1,857	55.48%	1,484	44.34%	6	0.18%
1980	1,584	47.14%	1,704	50.71%	72	2.14%
1976	1,329	38.07%	2,150	61.59%	12	0.34%
1972	1,872	53.53%	1,612	46.10%	13	0.37%
1968	1,515	44.07%	1,466	42.64%	457	13.29%
1964	1,390	38.19%	2,231	61.29%	19	0.52%
1960	1,929	49.40%	1,955	50.06%	21	0.54%
1956	2,074	49.28%	2,114	50.23%	21	0.50%
1952	2,070	48.42%	2,167	50.69%	38	0.89%
1948	1,839	43.30%	2,375	55.92%	33	0.78%
1944	2,019	47.32%	2,191	51.35%	57	1.34%
1940	2,285	46.01%	2,659	53.54%	22	0.44%
1936	2,212	43.66%	2,840	56.06%	14	0.28%
1932	1,953	38.79%	2,981	59.21%	101	2.01%
1928	2,617	58.62%	1,805	40.43%	42	0.94%
1924	2,346	48.29%	2,414	49.69%	98	2.02%
1920	2,525	50.12%	2,412	47.88%	101	2.00%
1916	1,214	44.05%	1,446	52.47%	96	3.48%
1912	882	32.81%	1,342	49.93%	464	17.26%
1908	1,444	47.27%	1,537	50.31%	74	2.42%
1904	1,461	47.48%	1,554	50.50%	62	2.01%
1900	1,631	48.50%	1,713	50.94%	19	0.56%
1896	1,637	48.27%	1,742	51.37%	12	0.35%
1892	1,497	47.42%	1,589	50.33%	71	2.25%
1888	1,560	47.87%	1,637	50.23%	62	1.90%

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1820	3,934		—
1830	7,028		78.6%
1840	9,920		41.1%
1850	12,932		30.4%
1860	12,698		−1.8%
1870	12,134		−4.4%
1880	13,336		9.9%
1890	12,514		−6.2%
1900	11,840		−5.4%
1910	9,914		−16.3%
1920	9,311		−6.1%
1930	8,432		−9.4%
1940	8,167		−3.1%
1950	7,599		−7.0%
1960	7,092		−6.7%
1970	6,306		−11.1%
1980	7,153		13.4%
1990	7,738		8.2%
2000	9,065		17.1%
2010	10,613		17.1%
2020	9,737		−8.3%
2023 (est.)	10,019	[17]	2.9%
US Decennial Census[18] 1790-1960[19] 1900-1990[20] 1990-2000[21] 2010-2013[1]

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 10,613 people, 4,034 households, and 2,847 families in the county.^[22] The population density was 48.1 inhabitants per square mile (18.6/km²). There were 4,969 housing units at an average density of 22.5 per square mile (8.7/km²).^[11] The racial makeup of the county was 97.8% white, 0.3% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.7% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population.^[22] In terms of ancestry, 25.4% were German, 16.1% were American, 13.2% were Irish, and 10.1% were English.^[23]

Of the 4,034 households, 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.4% were non-families, and 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.07. The median age was 39.1 years.^[22]

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $51,769. Males had a median income of $39,167 versus $30,814 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,214. About 11.0% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.2% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.^[24]

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Switzerland County, Indiana

References

1. "Switzerland County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
3. "Government at Crossroads: An Indiana chronology". The Herald Bulletin. January 5, 2008. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
4. Brill, Marlene Targ (2005). Indiana. Marshall Cavendish. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-7614-2020-0.
5. "Brief History of Switzerland County, In". INGenWeb Project. 1913. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
6. Soil Survey of Switzerland County, Indiana. US Dept. of Agriculture. 1987. p. 1.
7. "History of Settlement". Vevay Bicentennial. Archived from the original on July 23, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
8. Wissing, Douglas (March 1, 2001). Indiana. Globe Pequot. p. 15. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
9. Switzerland County IN (Google Maps, accessed 13 September 2020)
10. Switzerland County High Point, Indiana (PeakBagger.com, accessed 13 September 2020)
11. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
12. "Monthly Averages for Vevay IN". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
13. Indiana Code. "Title 36, Article 2, Section 3". IN.gov. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
14. Indiana Code. "Title 2, Article 10, Section 2" (PDF). IN.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 27, 2004. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
15. "Congressman Baron Hill". House.Gov. Archived from the original on March 20, 2010. Retrieved September 12, 2008.
16. Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
17. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
18. "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
19. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
20. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
21. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
22. "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
23. "Selected Social Characteristics in the US – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
24. "Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 14, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2015.

38.82°N 85.03°W / 38.82; -85.03