Colfax, Indiana

Colfax, Indiana
—  Town  —
Location in the state of Indiana
Coordinates: 40°11′38″N 86°40′5″W / 40.19389°N 86.66806°W / 40.19389; -86.66806Coordinates: 40°11′38″N 86°40′5″W / 40.19389°N 86.66806°W / 40.19389; -86.66806
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Clinton
Township	Perry
Founded	1849
Named for	Schuyler Colfax
Area
– Total	0.4 sq mi (0.9 km2)
– Land	0.4 sq mi (0.9 km2)
– Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	840 ft (256 m)
Population (2010)
– Total	691
– Density	2,133.4/sq mi (823.7/km2)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EST (UTC-5)
ZIP code	46035
Area code(s)	765
FIPS code	18-14284[1]
GNIS feature ID	0432758[2]
Website	www.freewebs.com/deputy1237
Chief of Police: Duane E. Lewellen ******************** Assistant Chief: Joshua P. Robertson

Colfax is a town in Perry Township, Clinton County, Indiana, United States. The population was 691 at the 2010 census. The town was originally known as Midway since it was a half-way point on the IC&L Railroad between Lafayette and Indianapolis; it was later renamed to honor Vice President Schuyler Colfax.^[3]

History

Colfax was laid out in 1849 by Montgomery Stroud and originally named Midway for its position between Indianapolis and Lafayette along the Lafayette railroad. In 1853 the town gained a post office named Colfax, and in December 1857 the name of the town itself became Colfax, by petition of the residents. By 1861 the town had two churches, two general stores, a hotel, a saw mill and approximately 200 residents.

An incorporation election held December 25, 1869, resulted in 24 yeas and 1 no. The town had 187 residents in 1870, but with the construction of the Vandalia road through town in 1870-71 it grew quickly and by 1880 had a population of 638.^[4]

Geography

Colfax is located at 40°11′38″N 86°40′5″W / 40.19389°N 86.66806°W / 40.19389; -86.66806 (40.193788, -86.668085)^[5].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 768 people, 286 households, and 205 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,118.9 people per square mile (823.7/km²). There were 305 housing units at an average density of 841.5 per square mile (327.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.87% White and 0.13% Asian. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.69% of the population.

There were 286 households out of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.8% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the town the population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $42,688, and the median income for a family was $44,514. Males had a median income of $31,792 versus $28,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,482. About 6.7% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ Claybaugh, Joseph (1913). History of Clinton County, Indiana. Indianapolis: A. W. Bowen & Company. pp. 32. 
4. ^ Claybaugh, Joseph (1913). "Perry Township". History of Clinton County, Indiana. Indianapolis: A. W. Bowen & Company. 
5. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.