Chalmers, Indiana
Chalmers, Indiana | |
|---|---|
 Downtown Chalmers | |
 Location of Chalmers in White County, Indiana. | |
| Coordinates: 40°39′45″N 86°52′04″W / 40.66250°N 86.86778°W[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | White |
| Township | Big Creek |
| Platted | 1873 |
| Incorporated | 1892 |
| Founded by | Jacob Raub |
| Government | |
| • Type | Town council |
| • President | Renee Collier |
| • Vice President | Marcus King |
| • Town Marshal | Jared Baer |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.30 sq mi (0.78 km2) |
| • Land | 0.30 sq mi (0.78 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 715 ft (218 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 523 |
| • Density | 1,731.79/sq mi (668.77/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 47929 |
| Area code | Area code 219 |
| FIPS code | 18-11944[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2396638[1] |
| Website | chalmers.in.gov |
Chalmers is a town in Big Creek Township, White County in the U.S. state of Indiana.[1] Its population was 523 at the 2020 census.
History
[edit]
Chalmers dates back to the early 1850s. Land was donated by Gardner Mudge to the Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railway in 1854 after the company constructed a rail line through Big Creek in 1853. Mudge and his brother-in-law operated a general store. On April 21, 1854, a Post Office was established with Mudge serving as postmaster.
Chalmers was platted on July 24, 1873; it included 103 lots on six streets. Several homes and stores were erected, and a school was constructed in the early 1870s. The first church was organized in 1878, and a tile factory was erected in the same year. The Bank of Chalmers was established by Jacob Raub in the early 1890s with a capital of $10,000. Chalmers became an incorporated town in 1892. "The Ledger" served as the first community newspaper, published initially in 1893. In 1895, a train station which later became a symbol of the town's history was constructed.
The village was originally known by many as "Mudge's Station," after Gardner Mudge. The name "Chalmers" was listed on railroad timetables of New Albany and Salem as early as 1856. By 1912, Chalmers had approximately 600 residents. It consisted of two grain elevators, a factory, fifteen stores, two banks, two livery barns, three blacksmith shops, a lumber yard, two hotels, two garages, and dozens of homes.
Although the depot was demolished in 1976, the railroad which passes through Chalmers is still in use and is operated by CSX Transportation.[4][5]
An archive of the town's history is maintained by the Chalmers Historical Society.
Geography
[edit]According to the 2010 census, it has a total area of 0.25 square miles (0.65 km2), all land.[6]
Climate
[edit]According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Chalmers has a hot-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Chalmers was 102 °F (38.9 °C) on June 27, 2005, and July 8, 2012, while the coldest temperature recorded was −22 °F (−30.0 °C) on January 3, 2018.[7]
| Climate data for Chalmers, Indiana, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 2000–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 68 (20) |
73 (23) |
85 (29) |
89 (32) |
96 (36) |
102 (39) |
102 (39) |
98 (37) |
89 (32) |
93 (34) |
79 (26) |
69 (21) |
102 (39) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 54.3 (12.4) |
55.7 (13.2) |
69.9 (21.1) |
80.6 (27.0) |
89.7 (32.1) |
93.1 (33.9) |
91.8 (33.2) |
91.3 (32.9) |
91.2 (32.9) |
84.0 (28.9) |
69.5 (20.8) |
59.1 (15.1) |
95.5 (35.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 31.2 (−0.4) |
35.5 (1.9) |
47.4 (8.6) |
60.8 (16.0) |
72.0 (22.2) |
81.0 (27.2) |
83.0 (28.3) |
81.8 (27.7) |
76.9 (24.9) |
64.5 (18.1) |
49.5 (9.7) |
36.8 (2.7) |
60.0 (15.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 23.7 (−4.6) |
27.2 (−2.7) |
37.8 (3.2) |
49.4 (9.7) |
60.6 (15.9) |
70.0 (21.1) |
72.3 (22.4) |
70.7 (21.5) |
64.6 (18.1) |
53.0 (11.7) |
40.3 (4.6) |
29.4 (−1.4) |
49.9 (10.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 16.2 (−8.8) |
18.9 (−7.3) |
28.3 (−2.1) |
38.0 (3.3) |
49.2 (9.6) |
59.1 (15.1) |
61.7 (16.5) |
59.6 (15.3) |
52.2 (11.2) |
41.4 (5.2) |
31.0 (−0.6) |
22.0 (−5.6) |
39.8 (4.3) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −5.7 (−20.9) |
−5.1 (−20.6) |
11.5 (−11.4) |
24.3 (−4.3) |
34.8 (1.6) |
47.9 (8.8) |
51.7 (10.9) |
49.8 (9.9) |
41.4 (5.2) |
27.9 (−2.3) |
15.6 (−9.1) |
4.1 (−15.5) |
−11.3 (−24.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −22 (−30) |
−20 (−29) |
−7 (−22) |
15 (−9) |
27 (−3) |
37 (3) |
43 (6) |
43 (6) |
34 (1) |
23 (−5) |
3 (−16) |
−11 (−24) |
−22 (−30) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.54 (65) |
2.06 (52) |
2.78 (71) |
3.93 (100) |
4.26 (108) |
5.54 (141) |
4.50 (114) |
4.04 (103) |
3.00 (76) |
3.07 (78) |
2.91 (74) |
2.36 (60) |
40.99 (1,042) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 6.6 (17) |
6.2 (16) |
2.5 (6.4) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.5 (1.3) |
4.1 (10) |
20.3 (51.7) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10.3 | 9.4 | 10.9 | 12.1 | 12.7 | 11.7 | 10.3 | 9.4 | 8.6 | 9.5 | 10.3 | 11.0 | 126.2 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 4.9 | 4.2 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 3.3 | 15.1 |
| Source 1: NOAA[8] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service (mean maxima/minima 2006–2020)[7] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
[edit]| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 462 | — | |
| 1910 | 513 | 11.0% | |
| 1920 | 528 | 2.9% | |
| 1930 | 510 | −3.4% | |
| 1940 | 475 | −6.9% | |
| 1950 | 508 | 6.9% | |
| 1960 | 548 | 7.9% | |
| 1970 | 544 | −0.7% | |
| 1980 | 554 | 1.8% | |
| 1990 | 525 | −5.2% | |
| 2000 | 513 | −2.3% | |
| 2010 | 508 | −1.0% | |
| 2020 | 523 | 3.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] | |||
2010 census
[edit]As of the census[10] of 2010, there were 508 people, 203 households, and 137 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,032.0 inhabitants per square mile (784.6/km2). There were 226 housing units at an average density of 904.0 per square mile (349.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.0% White, 0.2% Asian, 1.8% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.2% of the population.
There were 203 households, of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.5% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.07.
The median age in the town was 40.1 years. 25% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.2% were from 25 to 44; 27.9% were from 45 to 64; and 13.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.0% male and 51.0% female.
2000 census
[edit]As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 513 people, 185 households, and 133 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,055.7 inhabitants per square mile (793.7/km2). There were 190 housing units at an average density of 761.4 per square mile (294.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 99.61% White, and 0.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.17% of the population.
There were 185 households, out of which 40.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.5% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.32.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.6% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $51,591, and the median income for a family was $55,833. Males had a median income of $31,667 versus $21,518 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,258. About 5.4% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.
Arts and culture
[edit]Chalmers is a small community known to have cheerful hospitality.[11]
For years, an annual festival known as Chalmers Community Day has occurred each summer. It includes a pancake breakfast and a pork dinner, hosted by the volunteer fire department. A car show often takes place at the Downtown square and a motorcycle show at Chalmers Community Park.[11] Many residents conduct garage sales and yard sales at their homes during this event, giving it the nickname "Garage Sale Day." Outsiders, many of which reside in the surrounding towns and cities, visit the town to attend this annual event.
Wind farm
[edit]A large fraction of Meadow Lake Wind Farm, one of the largest onshore wind farms in the world, is located just west of Chalmers. The first turbine in the farm was constructed northwest of Chalmers and was visible from the north edge of the town. Today, the turbines can be spotted from within the town. The wind farm attracts tourists and has sparked a trend of turbine appearances in local art and photography. Following the construction of wind turbines near I-65, the traffic of the Chalmers Interstate exit increased substantially. Plans have been made for a tourism center near that Interstate exit. In addition to cultural impact, the wind farm has affected the local economy due to the farmland leasing involved with turbine placement.
Chalmers Historical Museum
[edit]A group of locals has expressed interest in the history of Chalmers, much of which seems to be missing. As a result, a committee of residents organized the Chalmers Historical Society which aims to recover and collect historical documents such as photos, yearbooks, newspapers, films, and artifacts. Volunteers also record audio interviews with current and former long-term residents of the town.
This Chalmers Historical Society hopes to soon operate a small museum which would showcase the physical and digital media collected by the committee. As of 2016, a former insurance agency office at 114 E. Main St. in Downtown Chalmers is being renovated for this purpose. Once completed, committee members and other volunteers will supervise the facility and allow public browsing on weekends and during special occasions.
The society and its museum are financed solely by benefactors. Most of the collection is recovered through donation as well.
Parks and recreation
[edit]
Parks include:
- Chalmers Community Park, featuring a playground, pavilion, trails, and sports facilities.[12]
- Downtown park, featuring a gazebo and a locally-designed mural.[citation needed]
Government
[edit]Chalmers has a community-operated government and is managed by a small town council. The Chalmers Town Hall shares a building with the Chalmers Volunteer Fire Department. It is used for council and board meetings, and is the office of the town's clerk-treasurer.[citation needed]
Education
[edit]
Frontier School Corporation, a public school system, is headquartered in Downtown Chalmers. Most Chalmers students are enrolled in this district. Its single secondary school, Frontier Junior and Senior High School, was formed to replace the former Chalmers High School as well as the schools in Brookston. Elementary-level children attend the primary school of the same corporation in Brookston, Frontier Elementary School. For the 2012-2013 school year, Frontier was honored as a grade "A" school corporation by the Indiana Department of Education.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Chalmers, Indiana
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Chalmers Town History". Retrieved May 28, 2013.
- ^ Thomas Kepshire. "Chalmers Indiana". Archived from the original on June 5, 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
- ^ "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
- ^ a b "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Northern Indiana". National Weather Service. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Chalmers 5 W, IN". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
- ^ a b White County Tourism Authority. "Enjoy White County". Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ^ Chalmers, Indiana Park Board. "Parks & Trails in Chalmers, Indiana". Archived from the original on June 26, 2013. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
- ^ "IDOE Accountability". IDOE.in.gov. Indiana Department of Education. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
External links
[edit]Further reading
[edit]- Hamelle, W.H., ed. (1915). A Standard History of White County Indiana: An Authentic Narrative of the Past, with an Extended Survey of Modern Developments in the Progress of Town and Country. Chicago and New York: Lewis Publishing Company. Archived from the original on October 10, 2006. Retrieved February 4, 2007.
Municipalities and communities of White County, Indiana, United States | ||
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| City |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Townships | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other unincorporated communities | ||