Matthews, Indiana

Matthews, Indiana
—  Town  —
New Cumberland Covered Bridge
Location of Matthews in the state of Indiana
Coordinates: 40°23′13″N 85°29′45″W / 40.38694°N 85.49583°W / 40.38694; -85.49583Coordinates: 40°23′13″N 85°29′45″W / 40.38694°N 85.49583°W / 40.38694; -85.49583
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Grant
Township	Jefferson
Area
– Total	0.3 sq mi (0.9 km2)
– Land	0.3 sq mi (0.9 km2)
– Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	879 ft (268 m)
Population (2000)
– Total	595
– Density	1,707.7/sq mi (656.4/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	46957
Area code(s)	765
FIPS code	18-47592[1]
GNIS feature ID	0438731[2]

Matthews is a town in Jefferson Township, Grant County, Indiana, along the Mississinewa River. The population was 595 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Matthews is located at 40°23′13″N 85°29′45″W / 40.38694°N 85.49583°W / 40.38694; -85.49583 (40.387048, -85.495930)^[3].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 595 people, 243 households, and 178 families residing in the town. The population density was 656.4/km² (1,707.7/mi²). There were 259 housing units at an average density of 285.7/km² (743.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.99% White, 0.17% Native American, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.17% of the population.

Matthews from the west.

There were 243 households out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.9% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the town the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 84.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,125, and the median income for a family was $40,139. Males had a median income of $29,911 versus $23,214 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,283. About 4.5% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.

History

Matthews was founded in 1895 and named in honor of then-governor Claude Matthews. Founders located the town near the center of the Trenton Gas Field, and it was hoped that this geographically central location could become the future capital of Indiana, moving it from Indianapolis, which had been laid out for that specific reason less than one hundred years earlier in 1825. The plan was abandoned in 1903 when the gas field was depleted, leaving the town with a main street unusually wide for its size.

The population of Matthews at its peak has been estimated at approximately 100,000 to 120,000 people.^{[citation needed]} This included its 18 suburbs, including Gaston, Wheeling, Fowlerton, and Tent City.^{[citation needed]} Tent City was a huddle of tents on a one- to two-mile (3 km) area of farm fields three-quarters of the way around the city limits, where people unable to get housing rented plots.

Matthews was placed near an older village called New Cumberland, founded in 1833. Now the "old town" of Matthews, the village has a wooden covered bridge, the Cumberland Covered Bridge, built in 1877 which crosses the Mississinewa River. This bridge is the centerpiece of the town's annual festival and draws thousands of people every year.

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. ^ "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. 

External links

• Matthews Area Veterinary Clinic