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Richmond, Indiana

Coordinates:39°49′54″N84°52′26″W/ 39.83167°N 84.87389°W/39.83167; -84.87389
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For other uses, seeRichmond (disambiguation).

Richmond, Indiana
City
Richmond Downtown Historic District
Richmond Downtown Historic District
Flag of Richmond, Indiana
Flag
Official seal of Richmond, Indiana
Seal
Nickname:
City of Roses
Location of Richmond in Wayne County, Indiana.
Location of Richmond in Wayne County, Indiana.
Coordinates:39°49′54″N84°52′26″W/ 39.83167°N 84.87389°W/39.83167; -84.87389
CountryUnited States
StateIndiana
CountyWayne
TownshipBoston,Center,Wayne
Government
• MayorRon Oler
Area
[1]
• Total24.16 sq mi (62.56 km2)
• Land24.00 sq mi (62.17 km2)
• Water0.15 sq mi (0.39 km2)
Elevation
[2]
978 ft (298 m)
Population
(2020)
• Total35,720
• Density1,488.02/sq mi (574.54/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5(EST)
• Summer (DST)UTC−4(EDT)
ZIP codes
47374-47375
Area code765
FIPS code18-64260[3]
GNISfeature ID2396366[2]
Websiterichmondindiana.gov

Richmond(/ˈrɪtʃmənd/) is a city in easternWayne County, Indiana,United States. Bordering the state ofOhio,it is thecounty seatof Wayne County.[4]In the2020 census,the city had a population of 35,720. It is the principal city of theRichmond micropolitan area.Situated largely withinWayne Township,its area includes a non-contiguous portion in nearbyBoston Township,whereRichmond Municipal Airportis located.

Richmond is sometimes called the "cradle of recorded jazz" because the earliestjazzrecordings and records were made at the studio ofGennett Records,a division of theStarr Piano Company.[5]Gennett Records was the first to record such artists asLouis Armstrong,Bix Beiderbecke,Jelly Roll Morton,Hoagy Carmichael,Lawrence Welk,andGene Autry.[6]The city has twice received theAll-America City Award,most recently in 2009.

History

[edit]
Wayne County Courthouse

In 1806 the first European Americans in the area,Quakerfamilies from the state ofNorth Carolina,settled along the East Fork of theWhitewater River.This was part of a general westward migration in the early decades after theAmerican Revolution.John Smith was one of the earliest settlers.[7]Richmond is still home to several Quaker institutions, includingFriends United Meeting,Richmond Friends School,Earlham Collegeand theEarlham School of Religion.

The first post office in Richmond was established in 1818 with Robert Morrison as the first postmaster.[8]The town was officially incorporated in 1840, with John Sailor elected the first mayor.[9]

Early cinema and television pioneerCharles Francis Jenkinsgrew up on a farm north of Richmond, where he began inventing useful gadgets. As the Richmond Telegram reported, on June 6, 1894, Jenkins gathered his family, friends and newsmen at his cousin's jewelry store in downtown Richmond and projected a filmed motion picture for the first time in front of an audience. The motion picture was of a vaudeville entertainer performing a butterfly dance, which Jenkins had filmed himself. Jenkins filed for a patent for the Phantoscope projector in November 1894 and it was issued in March 1895. A modified version of the Phantoscope was later sold toThomas Edison,who named itEdison's Vitascopeand began projecting motion pictures in New York Cityvaudevilletheaters, raising the curtain on American cinema.

Joseph E. Maddyis credited with founding the country's first complete high school orchestra at Richmond, and later founded the National High School Orchestra Camp, which became theInterlochen Center for the Artsin Michigan.[10][11]

Hoagy Carmichaelrecorded "Stardust"for the first time in Richmond at theGennettrecording studio. Famed trumpeter and singerLouis Armstrongwas first recorded at Gennett as a member ofKing Oliverand his Creole Jazz Band.[12]Many other internationally famous musicians recorded at Gennett's Richmond facility, includingJelly Roll Morton,Bix Beiderbecke,Duke Ellington,andFats Waller.[13]Gennett also recorded Klan musicians.[14][15]

A group of artists in the area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries came to be known as theRichmond Group.They includedJohn Elwood Bundy,Charles Conner,George Herbert Baker,Maude Kaufman EggemeyerandJohn Albert Seaford.TheRichmond Art Museumhas a collection of regional and American art.[16]Many consider the most significant painting in the collection to be a self-portrait of Indiana-bornWilliam Merritt Chase.[17]

Madonna of the Trail,one of a series of 12 identical monuments dedicated to the spirit ofpioneerwomen in the United States

The city was connected to theNational Road,the first road built by the federal government and a major route west for pioneers of the 19th century.[18]It became part of the system ofNational Auto Trails.The highway is now known asU.S. Route 40.One of the extantMadonna of the Trailmonuments was dedicated at Richmond on October 28, 1928.[19]It sits in a corner of Glen Miller Park adjacent toUS 40.

Richmond's cultural resources include two of Indiana's threeEgyptianmummies.One is held by the Wayne County Historical Museum and the other by Earlham College's Joseph Moore Museum, leading to the local nickname "Mummy capital of Indiana".[20][21]

The arts were supported by a strong economy increasingly based on manufacturing. Richmond was once known as "the lawnmower capital" because it was a center for manufacturing oflawnmowersfrom the late 19th century through the mid-20th century. Manufacturers included Davis,Motomower,Dille-McGuireand F&N. The farm machinery builderGaar-Scottwas based in Richmond. TheDavis Aircraft Co.,[22][23]builder of a lightparasol wingmonoplane, operated in Richmond beginning in 1929.

After starting out in nearbyUnion City,Wayne Agricultural Works moved to Richmond. Wayne manufactured horse-drawn vehicles, including the "kid hack",a precursor of the motorizedschool bus.From the early 1930s through the 1940s, Richmond had several automobile designers and manufacturers. Among the automobiles locally manufactured were theRichmond,built by the Wayne Works; the "Rodefeld"; theDavis;thePilot;theWestcott;and theCrosley.In the 1950s Wayne Works changed its name toWayne Corporation,by then a well-known bus and school-bus manufacturer. In 1967 it relocated to a site adjacent toInterstate 70.The company was a leader in school-bus safety innovations, but closed in 1992 during a period of school-bus manufacturing industry consolidations.[24]

Richmond was known as the "RoseCity "because of the many varieties once grown there by Hill's Roses. The company had several sprawling complexes ofgreenhouses,with a total of about 34 acres (14 ha) under glass. The annual Richmond Rose Festival honored the rose industry and was a popular summer attraction.[25]

Downtown explosion

[edit]
Main article:Richmond, Indiana explosion

On April 6, 1968, an explosion triggered by a natural gas leak destroyed or damaged several downtown blocks and killed 41 people; more than 150 were injured.[26]The event is documented in the bookDeath in a Sunny Street.

Geography

[edit]
Richmond lies on the flatland of eastern Indiana

According to the 2010 census, Richmond has a total area of 24.067 square miles (62.33 km2), of which 23.91 square miles (61.93 km2) (or 99.35%) is land and 0.157 square miles (0.41 km2) (or 0.65%) is water.[27]

Richmond is located about 12 miles S ofHoosier Hill,the highest point in Indiana.

Cityscape

[edit]

Richmond is noted for its rich stock of historic architecture. In 2003, a book entitledRichmond Indiana: Its Physical Development and Aesthetic Heritage to 1920byCornell Universityarchitectural historians, Michael and Mary Raddant Tomlan, was published by theIndiana Historical Society.Particularly notable buildings are the 1902Pennsylvania RailroadStation designed byDaniel H. Burnhamof Chicago and the 1893Wayne County Court Housedesigned byJames W. McLaughlinofCincinnati.Local architects of note includeJohn A. Hasecoster,William S. KaufmanandStephen O. Yates.

The significance of the architecture has been recognized. Five large districts, such as the Depot District, and several individual buildings are listed in theNational Register of Historic Places,theHistoric American Buildings Surveyand theHistoric American Engineering Record.

Climate

[edit]
Climate data for Richmond, Indiana (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1968–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 67
(19) 		78
(26) 		85
(29) 		87
(31) 		94
(34) 		104
(40) 		102
(39) 		100
(38) 		100
(38) 		91
(33) 		80
(27) 		72
(22) 		104
(40)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 58.3
(14.6) 		63.0
(17.2) 		72.5
(22.5) 		81.1
(27.3) 		88.0
(31.1) 		92.2
(33.4) 		92.6
(33.7) 		91.7
(33.2) 		90.0
(32.2) 		82.7
(28.2) 		70.2
(21.2) 		61.5
(16.4) 		94.5
(34.7)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 36.2
(2.3) 		40.3
(4.6) 		50.8
(10.4) 		63.8
(17.7) 		73.7
(23.2) 		82.0
(27.8) 		84.8
(29.3) 		83.6
(28.7) 		77.6
(25.3) 		65.5
(18.6) 		51.7
(10.9) 		40.4
(4.7) 		62.5
(16.9)
Daily mean °F (°C) 27.9
(−2.3) 		31.2
(−0.4) 		40.8
(4.9) 		52.2
(11.2) 		62.6
(17.0) 		71.1
(21.7) 		74.2
(23.4) 		72.7
(22.6) 		65.9
(18.8) 		54.2
(12.3) 		42.2
(5.7) 		32.6
(0.3) 		52.3
(11.3)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 19.6
(−6.9) 		22.2
(−5.4) 		30.8
(−0.7) 		40.7
(4.8) 		51.5
(10.8) 		60.2
(15.7) 		63.5
(17.5) 		61.8
(16.6) 		54.2
(12.3) 		42.9
(6.1) 		32.7
(0.4) 		24.7
(−4.1) 		42.1
(5.6)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −3.8
(−19.9) 		1.9
(−16.7) 		11.9
(−11.2) 		24.7
(−4.1) 		35.4
(1.9) 		47.0
(8.3) 		52.5
(11.4) 		51.0
(10.6) 		40.1
(4.5) 		28.1
(−2.2) 		17.8
(−7.9) 		5.5
(−14.7) 		−7.5
(−21.9)
Record low °F (°C) −27
(−33) 		−20
(−29) 		−9
(−23) 		14
(−10) 		26
(−3) 		36
(2) 		42
(6) 		41
(5) 		30
(−1) 		16
(−9) 		6
(−14) 		−22
(−30) 		−27
(−33)
Averageprecipitationinches (mm) 3.20
(81) 		2.25
(57) 		3.42
(87) 		4.27
(108) 		4.63
(118) 		4.80
(122) 		4.32
(110) 		3.27
(83) 		3.12
(79) 		3.16
(80) 		3.32
(84) 		3.10
(79) 		42.86
(1,089)
Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) 13.0 10.5 11.5 11.9 13.5 11.4 10.6 8.4 8.7 9.8 9.5 12.4 131.2
Source:NOAA[28][29]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18402,070—
18501,443−30.3%
18606,608357.9%
18709,44542.9%
188012,74234.9%
189016,60830.3%
190018,2269.7%
191022,82425.2%
192026,76517.3%
193032,49321.4%
194035,1478.2%
195039,53912.5%
196044,14911.7%
197043,999−0.3%
198041,349−6.0%
199038,705−6.4%
200039,1241.1%
201036,812−5.9%
202035,720−3.0%
Source: US Census Bureau

2010 census

[edit]

As of the census[30]of 2010, there were 36,812 people, 15,098 households, and 8,909 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,539.0 inhabitants per square mile (594.2/km2). There were 17,649 housing units at an average density of 737.8 per square mile (284.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 83.9%White,8.6%African American,0.3%Native American,1.1%Asian,0.1%Pacific Islander,1.9% fromother races,and 4.0% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 4.1% of the population.

There were 15,098 households, of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.5% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.0% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.91.

The median age in the city was 38.4 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.4% were from 25 to 44; 25.6% were from 45 to 64; and 16.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

2000 census

[edit]

As of the census[3]of 2000, there were 39,124 people, 16,287 households, and 9,918 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,685.3 inhabitants per square mile (650.7/km2). There were 17,647 housing units at an average density of 760.2 per square mile (293.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 86.78%White,8.87%African American,0.27%Native American,0.80%Asian,0.06%Pacific Islander,1.09% fromother races,and 2.14% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 2.03% of the population.

There were 16,287 households, out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.4% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,210, and the median income for a family was $38,346. Males had a median income of $30,849 versus $21,164 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,096. About 12.1% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.8% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.

Points of interest

[edit]
Hicksite Friends Meeting House, 1150 North A Street, Richmond, Indiana. Now houses the Wayne County Historical Museum.

Education

[edit]
Carpenter Hall atEarlham College,founded in 1847

Richmond is home to four colleges:Earlham College,Indiana University East,Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana,and thePurdue Polytechnic Institute – Richmond.It is also home to twoseminaries,theQuakerEarlham School of ReligionandChurch of the BrethrenBethany Theological Seminary.

Richmond High Schoolincludes theRichmond Art MuseumandCivic Hall Performing Arts Center.Seton Catholic High School,a junior and senior high school, is a religious high school. It is based in the former home of St. Andrew High School (1899–1936) and, more recently, St. Andrew Elementary School, adjacent to St. Andrew Church of the Richmond Catholic Community.

The Richmond Japanese Language School (リッチモンド ( IN ) bổ tập thụ nghiệp giáoRitchimondo(IN)Hoshū Jugyō Kō) apart-time Japanese school,holds its classes at the Highland Heights School.[32][33]

The town has a lending library, theMorrisson Reeves Library.[34]

Religious groups

[edit]

Richmond is the headquarters ofFriends United Meeting,and hosts theQuaker Hill Conference Center,of theReligious Society of Friends(Quakers).

Media

[edit]

The daily newspaper is theGannett-ownedPalladium-Item.

Full-power radio stations includeWKBV,WFMG,WQLK,WKRT,and Earlham College's student-run public radio stationWECI.Richmond is also served byWJYWwhich is repeated on 94.5 and 97.7. AreaNPRradio stations includeWBSHinHagerstown, Indiana,andWMUBinOxford, Ohio.

Richmond is considered to be within theDayton, Ohio,television market and has one full-power television station,WKOI,which is anIonowned and operated station. The city also has one county-widepublic, educational, and government access(PEG) cable television station,Whitewater Community Television.[35]

Transportation

[edit]
APenn Centralpassenger train at Richmond'sPennsylvania Railroad stationin 1968

Richmond Municipal Airportis a public-use airport five nautical miles (6 mi, 9 km) southeast of Richmond's central business district. It is owned by the Richmond Board of Aviation Commissioners. It is also anexclaveof Richmond.[36]Richmond's closest airport with commercial service isDayton International Airport.

Richmond is served byInterstate 70at exits 149, 151, 153, and 156.

Established in 1902, Richmond'sPennsylvania Railroad stationwas a hub forPennsylvania Railroad,and later,Penn Centraltrains into the late 1960s. The last train at the station wasAmtrak'sNational LimitedbetweenKansas CityandNew York City,which ended service in 1979.[37]Richmond was also home to aChesapeake and Ohio Railwaystation.

Public transitservice is provided by city-ownedRoseview Transit,operating daily except Sundays and major holidays.[38]

Notable people

[edit]

Academia

[edit]

Actors

[edit]

Artists and designers

[edit]

Business

[edit]

Musicians

[edit]

Politicians, activists, and civic leaders

[edit]
[edit]

Science

[edit]

Sports

[edit]

Writers and journalists

[edit]

Sister cities

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedMarch 16,2022.
  2. ^abU.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Richmond, Indiana
  3. ^ab"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedJanuary 31,2008.
  4. ^"Find a County".National Association of Counties. Archived fromthe originalon May 31, 2011.RetrievedJune 7,2011.
  5. ^"Starr-Gennett Foundation Homepage".Starr-gennett.org.RetrievedJanuary 7,2017.
  6. ^Domenica Bongiovanni (July 27, 2020)."How a quirky Indiana studio was the first to record many of America's famous musicians".Indianapolis Star.RetrievedJuly 27,2020.
  7. ^James Glass (January 8, 2016)."Richmond's heritage still resonates".Indianapolis Star.RetrievedMay 8,2023.
  8. ^"Historical Timeline".WayNet.RetrievedJune 2,2014.
  9. ^"Bicentennial Timeline 1795 to 1849".Morrison Reeves Library. Archived fromthe originalon March 2, 2016.RetrievedOctober 5,2017.
  10. ^Millicent Martin Emery (September 12, 2015)."RCS teacher hopes for a musical resurrection".pal-item.com.Palladium-Item.RetrievedJuly 14,2019.
  11. ^Rebecca Gross (September 8, 2015)."In Step with Interlochen Center for the Arts".arts.gov.National Endowment for the Arts.RetrievedJuly 14,2019.
  12. ^Giants in Their Time: Representative Americans from the Jazz Age to the Cold War,p. 13. Norman K. Risjord,ISBN0742527859.2005
  13. ^"Starr-Gennett Foundation Walk of Fame".RetrievedJune 21,2019.
  14. ^Charlie Dahan (April 8, 2014)."April 8th in Gennett History, 1924: Vaughan Quartet Recorded" Wake Up America Kluck Kluck Kluck "".gennett.wordpress.com.RetrievedJuly 15,2019.
  15. ^Charlie Dahan (August 2, 2015)."August 2nd in Gennett History, 1924: W. R. Rhinehart Recorded" Klucker And The Rain "and" Long Klucker "".Gennett Records Discography.RetrievedJuly 15,2019.
  16. ^"Home".Richmond Art Museum. June 20, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 7,2017.
  17. ^"Self-portrait: The Artist in his Studio, 1916 by William Merritt Chase".Archived fromthe originalon September 5, 2005.RetrievedMay 30,2006.
  18. ^"Road through the Wilderness: The Making of the National Road".Archived fromthe originalon June 13, 2006.RetrievedMay 30,2006.
  19. ^"Madonna of the Trail – Richmond, Indiana".Waynet.org.RetrievedJanuary 7,2017.
  20. ^"Wayne County Historical Museum - Family fun for all ages!".Archived fromthe originalon December 16, 2008.RetrievedDecember 18,2008.
  21. ^"Joseph Moore Museum – Earlham College".Waynet.org.October 16, 2001.RetrievedJanuary 7,2017.
  22. ^"Davis D-1-W".Airventuremuseum.org. November 22, 1933.RetrievedSeptember 19,2011.
  23. ^"Davis Monoplane".Davis Monoplane.RetrievedSeptember 19,2011.
  24. ^"The Wayne Works Story Part II".CoachBuilt.RetrievedSeptember 14,2019.
  25. ^"Shut Up About the Rose Festival".IshMom.com. August 30, 2019.RetrievedSeptember 14,2019.
  26. ^[1]ArchivedJanuary 24, 2008, at theWayback Machine
  27. ^"G001 – Geographic Identifiers – 2010 Census Summary File 1".United States Census Bureau.Archived fromthe originalon February 13, 2020.RetrievedJuly 29,2015.
  28. ^"NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.RetrievedNovember 14,2023.
  29. ^"Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.RetrievedNovember 14,2023.
  30. ^"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedDecember 11,2012.
  31. ^"Tiffany Windows – Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church – Wayne County, Indiana".Waynet.org.RetrievedSeptember 19,2011.
  32. ^"Bắc mễ の bổ tập thụ nghiệp giáo nhất lãm ( bình thành 25 niên 4 nguyệt 15 nhật hiện tại ): Văn bộ khoa học tỉnh".March 30, 2014. Archived fromthe originalon March 30, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 7,2017.
  33. ^"ページの bổn văn に di động する".Webcitation.org.Archived fromthe originalon March 30, 2014.RetrievedJuly 13,2017.
  34. ^"Indiana public library directory"(PDF).Indiana State Library.Archived(PDF)from the original on May 13, 2013.RetrievedMarch 15,2018.
  35. ^"WCTV | Whitewater Community Television".Wctv.info.RetrievedJanuary 7,2017.
  36. ^FAA Airport Form 5010 for RIDPDF.Federal Aviation Administration. Effective May 31, 2012.
  37. ^"Pennsylvania Railroad, Tables 4, 5, 47, 49, 52".Official Guide of the Railways.100(5). National Railway Publication Company. October 1967.
  38. ^"Roseview Transit".City of Richmond. October 21, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon April 21, 2012.RetrievedNovember 8,2011.
  39. ^"Wendell M. Stanley – Biographical".Nobelprize.org.RetrievedJanuary 7,2017.
  40. ^"Jeff Hamilton - Drums - Jazz at Newport".Archived fromthe originalon September 7, 2006.RetrievedSeptember 9,2006.
  41. ^'Illinois Blue Book 1995–1996,' Biographical Sketch of Bill W. Balthis, pg. 105
  42. ^"Obituary, Vineyardist Dies At 92".Los Angeles Times.June 5, 1960. p. 62.RetrievedJanuary 6,2021– via Newspapers.com.
  43. ^"Oliver P. Morton Biography Page".Civilwarhome.com.March 24, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 7,2017.
  44. ^"D. Elton Trueblood, 1900 to 1994".Waynet.org.December 20, 1994.RetrievedJanuary 7,2017.
  45. ^"Dr. Charles A. Hufnagel".Astro4.ast.vill.edu.Archived fromthe originalon March 3, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 7,2017.
  46. ^"Weeb Ewbank | Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site".Profootballhof.com.RetrievedJanuary 7,2017.
[edit]
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