Greensburg's founder Col. Thomas Hendricks was a veteran of War of 1812.
The historic Wilderwood house built by the Union Army Civil War Brevet Brigadier General Colonel John T. Wilder sits on 1.13 acres at 446 East Main Street (Greensburg, Ind.). This fine house built in 1893 is listed on the register of historic places. It features a widow's walk or roofwalk designed by General Wilder for his wife Martha Jane Stewart.[7]
The first post office at Greensburg opened in 1823, but the name of the post office was spelled Greensburgh until 1894.[8]
Michigan Road was completed in 1837, bringing more people to settle and visit the growing town. After the Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and St. Louis Railroad was completed in 1853, the town boomed. Agriculture, foundries, millineries, wholesale grocers, and other businesses took advantage of Greenburg's strategic rail position.[9]
At the beginning of the twentieth century, race relations in Greensburg worsened, leading to the expulsion of African Americans from the city after race riots against them in 1906[10] and 1907.[11] According to James W. Loewen, Greensburg then was for decades a sundown town, a town that was purposely all-white.[12]
The Historical Society of Decatur County established a museum in 1976 in a historic former residence. The museum underwent an expansion and renovation in 2006, providing better facilities for storage, record keeping, and exhibits. Visits to the Historical Society Museum and a Pioneer Day event provide students an interactive learning experience on the life of the area's first settlers. Another school enrichment project allows students to research historic buildings, focusing on the age, architecture, use and other information that would help place the structure within the community's story. The results are then condensed onto bronze plaques placed on the exterior of the buildings.[13] The incentive package included $5,000 to offset moving expenses, a year's membership to the local co-working space and YMCA, gift cards to the seasonal farmers market, tickets throughout the year to productions at the local playhouse, home-cooked meals and a program called "Grandparents on Demand", which offered babysitting hours and a stand in on Grandparents Day at school.[14]
Geography
According to the 2010 census, Greensburg has a total area of 9.315 square miles (24.13 km2), of which 9.27 square miles (24.01 km2) (or 99.52%) is land and 0.045 square miles (0.12 km2) (or 0.48%) is water.[15]
Climate
Greensburg is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. Temperatures are high and can lead to warm, oppressive nights. Summers are usually somewhat wetter than winters, with much of the rainfall coming from convectional thunderstorm activity. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfa" (Humid Subtropical Climate).[16]
Climate data for Greensburg, Indiana, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1985–2021
As of the census[19] of 2010, there were 11,492 people, 4,661 households, and 2,927 families living in the city. The population density was 1,239.7 inhabitants per square mile (478.7/km2). There were 5,185 housing units at an average density of 559.3 per square mile (215.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.1% White, 0.4% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.9% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.4% of the population.
There were 4,661 households, of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.2% were non-families. 31.5% 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 2.38 and the average family size was 2.98.
The median age in the city was 37 years. 25% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.5% were from 45 to 64; and 15.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.
2000 census
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 10,260 people, 4,178 households, and 2,778 families living in the city. The population density was 2,140.4 inhabitants per square mile (826.4/km2). There were 4,420 housing units at an average density of 922.1 per square mile (356.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.57% White, 0.08% African American, 0.16% Native American, 1.39% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population.
Greensburg from the air, looking north.
There were 4,178 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39, and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $38,029, and the median income for a family was $45,439. Males had a median income of $31,662 versus $24,605 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,829. About 8.0% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Honda Motor Company operates an automobile manufacturing plant (Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, LLC) along Interstate 74 in Greensburg.[20] This facility, also called Indiana Auto Plant or IAP, is the largest employer in the city as of 2023. Honda purchased 1,700 acres (6.9 km2) at the northwest edge of Greensburg in 2006. Mass production of the Honda Civic (eighth generation) sedan commenced at IAP on October 9, 2008. A second shift was added in fall 2011.[21] Production capacity was increased by 25% to accommodate the start of production of the Civic hybrid in early 2013.[21] In 2018, Honda invested US$32.5 million to expand its plant with a new 19,200 square-foot building for new in-house subassembly of vehicles’ front end module, including radiator and cooling fan.[22][23][24]
As of September 2021, IAP employs over 2,700 people[25] and produces the eleventh-generation Honda Civic hatchback,[26] the fifth-generation Honda CR-V,[27] and the third-generation Honda Insight.[28] The Acura ILX was also assembled at IAP from 2012 to 2015 until production was transferred to Honda's plant in Marysville, Ohio.[29] The Acura ILX hybrid became the first hybrid model built by Honda in North America.[21] Honda has been exporting IAP assembled Civics to Mexico, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, Guam and Saipan since 2009.[30][31]
Delta Faucet Company has operated a manufacturing facility in the city since 1958.[32] In addition to faucet components, Delta's Greensburg plant also produces bath tubs and shower fixtures.[33]
Tree on the Courthouse Tower in Greensburg, Indiana
The Decatur County Courthouse in Greensburg is known for a tree which grows from the top of the Courthouse Tower, giving Greensburg its nickname, "Tree City".
There have been one or more trees growing continually since the first tree was noticed in the early 1870s. Later, other small trees appeared on the clock tower.
County officials were initially concerned that the trees would cause damage to the roof, and a steeplejack was hired in the 1880s to remove some of them. Two trees were left, with one ultimately growing to a height of nearly 15 feet (4.6 m). By the time it died, another tree had appeared.
Today, there are two trees on the tower. During a recent tree trimming a piece of the tree was examined by several Purdue University foresters and they positively identified the tree as a mulberry tree.[35]
The courthouse tree has been recognized worldwide as a regional tourist destination for photography.[citation needed]
Healthcare
Decatur County Memorial Hospital has served the community since 1922. The facility offers a full range of both inpatient and outpatient services including 24/7 Emergency services. Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers are available in the Center for Wound Healing at DCMH and the Hospital was one of the first in the state to acquire a 128-slice CT scanner. The Hospital Foundation of Decatur County has served to provide financial support for the facility and its programs. Major capital campaigns in 1995 and 2003 helped fund significant growth in the facility. A vertical expansion will add two floors to the 2003 addition including a new medical/surgical unit with all private rooms.
In addition to the main campus the Hospital owns the Medical Arts Plaza at 955 N. Michigan Ave., Greensburg. The 40,000 sq ft (3,700 m2) facility houses the Occupational Health program - "Workwell" and contains a lab, x-ray and the Tree City Medical Partners Physician's Practice as well as space for other physicians.
Greensburg is a likely train stop on the proposed high-speed rail line between Indianapolis and Cincinnati. This line is part of the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative, which is the master plan for a high-speed rail network throughout the midwestern United States.
The Greensburg Municipal Airport consists of a single runway measuring 3,343 ft (1,019 m). by 40 ft (12 m). There are tentative plans to either expand the current runway or build a new airport elsewhere in Decatur County.
Greensburg has one newspaper, the Greensburg Daily News, which is published Mondays through Saturdays. The paper is owned by CNHI.
Greensburg is also home to 1330 AM 104.3 FM WTRE, a locally owned and operated 500-watt AM/FM radio station that plays country music, local news, and local sports from area high schools.
^"Decatur County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
^"Greensburg, Indiana". www.achp.gov. Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Retrieved March 22, 2023. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^Peter M. Bergman and Mort N. Bergman, The Chronological History of the Negro in America (NY: Mentor, 1969): 347.
^Fort Wayne Daily News. Fort Wayne, IN: 1 May 1907: 3.
^James Loewen. Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism, New York: New Press, 2005.
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