Wakarusa, Indiana

Wakarusa is a town in Harrison and Olive townships in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Wakarusa had a population of 1,998.

Wakarusa is a small farming and manufacturing community located on Indiana 19 just north of Indiana 119. The town is south of Elkhart, southeast of South Bend, east of Chicago, and north of Indianapolis.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Wakarusa has a total area of , of which (or 96.62%) is land and (or 3.38%) is water.

History

In 1836, rural Olive Township was formed in western Elkhart County, and in 1849, as the population grew, a post office named Mt. Olive opened. After more population growth, a new village named Salem was established to prevent people from having to travel to either Goshen or Elkhart to conduct business. Since there is already a town named Salem in Indiana, the name was changed to Wakarusa in 1859. The Mt. Olive Post Office was renamed for Wakarusa a year later.

Railroad - In 1891 work began on the Wabash Railroad line through town, with the official opening of the line in the spring of 1893. The line, which connected Chicago with Montpelier, Ohio, became part of the Norfolk & Western Railway in 1964 and lasted until the 1980s. Today, the original Wabash depot along with two Norfolk & Western rail cars are featured along with many other displays at the Wakarusa Historical Museum.

The etymology of the name "Wakarusa" is not known. According to tradition, the name Wakarusa is from a Native American language, meaning "knee-deep in mud". A more recent source claims a settler named it after a location in Kansas.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Wakarusa had a population of 1,998. The median age was 37.8 years. 26.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 88.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 79.6 males age 18 and over.

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 729 households in Wakarusa, of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 54.6% were married-couple households, 15.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2010, there were 1,758 people, 665 households, and 448 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 717 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.0% White, 1.0% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.9% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.4% of the population.

There were 665 households, of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.6% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.09.

The median age in the town was 42 years. 24.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.1% were from 25 to 44; 23.7% were from 45 to 64, and 22.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 45.8% male and 54.2% female.

2000 census

As of the census

Religion

Wakarusa has Wakarusa Missionary Church, which is the Missionary Church denomination based out of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Other churches include a Bible Baptist Church, a Methodist church, Holdemen Mennonite Church, and Olive Mennonite Church just outside Wakarusa.

Notable people

J. Wayne Fredericks, American diplomat
Gale Sayers, Chicago Bears Hall of Fame running back

Economy

thumb|right|Wakarusa from the air, looking east

Originally solely a farming community, a lumber mill opened in 1866. By the 1880s, several factories and businesses existed, despite the fact that the railroad would not roll into town until 1893. Since then, the massive complex has been bought by Thor Industries, and they are using it for multiple operations for some of their RV brands. Currently, they employ around 700.

Today, the historic town center has several antique shops, hair salons, a furniture store, a hardware store, a general contractor, a florist, an I.T. business, a mechanic, insurance companies, restaurants, and a dime store candy shop that sells locally made maple syrup and jumbo jelly beans to a small but growing number of regional tourists.

Festivals

Once a year, the town hosts the Maple Syrup Festival and holds a parade as well as other activities associated with small-town celebrations. The festival was started in 1969 by the then Chamber of Progress. Originally held in March, the festival now occurs during the end of April.