West Terre Haute is a town in Sugar Creek Township, Vigo County, Indiana, on the western side of the Wabash River near Terre Haute. It is part of the Terre Haute Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bethany Congregational Church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
History
Originally called McQuilkinsville, then simply Macksville or Maxville, West Terre Haute was laid out by Samuel McQuilkin on November 22, 1836. The first building had been put up in 1833, and in 1834 McQuilkin opened a general store on the National Road between present-day Third and Fourth Streets. The store proved useful to those working on the National Road and made McQuilkinsville an important town in the area. Because of the town's fertile soil, soon people started settling there as vegetable farmers. John Griggs and his son Edward put up a flour mill in 1867, but the structure was burned in 1870. The town expanded quickly, with Smith Hinch building a tavern on the National Road and Richard McIlroy building a brick general store and post office in 1872.
In 1894 citizens of the town voted to change its name to West Terre Haute.
The West Terre Haute post office has been in operation since 1899.
Bethany Congregational Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
Growth of industry
By 1878, industries included a lumber mill, a cigar factory, and a shingle manufacturer, and the town had grown to a population of 250.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, West Terre Haute had a population of 2,157. The median age was 36.5 years. 25.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.2 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 830 households in West Terre Haute, of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 37.1% were married-couple households, 18.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2010, there were 2,236 people, 839 households, and 588 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 975 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.3% White, 0.5% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.4% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population.
There were 839 households, of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.2% were married couples living together, 20.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 8.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.9% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.09.
The median age in the town was 35.5 years. 26% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.6% were from 25 to 44; 23.9% were from 45 to 64; and 12.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.
2000 census
As of the census<br/> The town is in the attendance boundaries of these three schools (all outside of the town limits):
- Sugar Creek Consolidated Elementary School-Grades PreK-5
- West Vigo Middle School-Grades 6-8
- West Vigo High School-Grades 9-12
West Terre Haute has a public library, a branch of the Vigo County Public Library.
Transportation
West Terre Haute is the last community in Indiana encountered travelling westbound on US 40 before crossing into Illinois. Interstate 70 does not pass through West Terre Haute itself but skirts its southern edge. There are two exits on I-70 for West Terre Haute: Exit #1 (eastbound only) onto U.S. 40 and Exit #3 onto Darwin Road, though it is also marked for Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, which is five miles (8 km) northwest of West Terre Haute.