View source for Decatur, Indiana

{{Distinguish|Decatur County, Indiana}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| settlement_type    = [[City]]
| image_skyline      = Decatur-indiana-downtown-2006.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = Decatur downtown in 2006.
| image_flag         = Flag of Decatur, Indiana.png
| image_seal         = 
| image_blank_emblem = Logo of Decatur, Indiana.gif
| blank_emblem_type  = Logo
| image_map          = Adams County Indiana Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Decatur Highlighted 1817074.svg
| mapsize            = 250x200px
| map_caption        = Location of Decatur in Adams County
| image_map1         = 
| mapsize1           = 
| map_caption1       = 
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{USA}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = {{flag|Indiana}}
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Indiana|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Adams County, Indiana|Adams]]
| subdivision_type3  = [[List of townships in Indiana|Townships]]
| subdivision_name3  = [[Root Township, Adams County, Indiana|Root]], [[Washington Township, Adams County, Indiana|Washington]]
| government_type    = [[Mayor-council government]]
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = Dan Rickord ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]]){{citation needed|date=December 2023}}
| established_title  = Founded
| established_date   = 1836
| established_title1 = Incorporated
| established_date1  = 1853
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_18.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 16, 2022|archive-date=March 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318023320/https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_18.txt|url-status=live}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi   = 6.11
| area_land_sq_mi    = 6.10
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.01
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_est     = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| population_total   = 9913
| population_density_sq_mi = 1625.08
| timezone           = [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern Time Zone|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 801
| coordinates        = {{coord|40|49|43|N|84|55|40|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| website            = {{URL|www.cityofdecatur.in.gov}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 46733
| area_code          = [[Area code 260|260]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 18-17074<ref name=GR2>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/|publisher=US Census Bureau|access-date=31 January 2008|title=US Census website|archive-date=December 27, 1996|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/https://www.census.gov/|url-status=live}}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2394480<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2394480}}</ref>
| footnotes          = 
| name               = Decatur, Indiana
| population_footnotes = 
| area_total_km2     = 15.81
| area_land_km2      = 15.80
| area_water_km2     = 0.02
| population_density_km2 = 627.50
| named_for          = [[Stephen Decatur]]
}}

{{US Census population
|1850= 231
|1860= 532
|1870= 858
|1880= 1905
|1890= 3142
|1900= 4148
|1910= 4471
|1920= 4762
|1930= 5156
|1940= 5861
|1950= 7271
|1960= 8327
|1970= 8445
|1980= 8649
|1990= 8644
|2000= 9528
|2010= 9405
|2020= 9913
|footnote=US Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=February 18, 2022|archive-date=April 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426102944/http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}

'''Decatur''' is a city in [[Root Township, Adams County, Indiana|Root]] and [[Washington Township, Adams County, Indiana|Washington]] townships, [[Adams County, Indiana|Adams County]], [[Indiana]], United States. It is the [[county seat]] (and the largest community) of Adams County.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=7 June 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|archive-date=31 May 2011}}</ref> Decatur is home to Adams Memorial Hospital, which was designated as one of the "Top 100" Critical Access Hospitals in the United States. The population of Decatur was 9,913 at the 2020 census, up from 9,405 at the 2010 census.

==History==

===Founding===
The first non-Native American settlers arrived in what is now Decatur in 1835. They arrived as a result of the end of the [[Black Hawk War]] as well as the completion of the [[Erie Canal]]. They consisted entirely of settlers from [[New England]]. These were "[[Yankee]]" settlers, that is to say they were descended from the [[English people|English]] [[Puritans]] who settled [[New England]] in the colonial era. They were primarily members of the [[Congregational church|Congregational Church]] though due to the [[Second Great Awakening]] many of them had converted to [[Methodism]] and some had become [[Baptists]] before coming to what is now Decatur. The Congregational Church subsequently has gone through many divisions and some factions are now known as the [[Church of Christ]] and [[Church of God (Decatur, Indiana)|Church of God]]. When the [[New England]] settlers arrived in what is now Decatur there was nothing but a dense virgin forest and wild prairie.<ref>John Wilson Tyndall & Orlo Ervin Lesh, ''Standard History of Adams and Wells Counties'' (1918)</ref>

Decatur was founded by Samuel Rugg in 1836.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Decatur, Indiana - City of Decatur |url=https://www.cityofdecatur.in.gov/services/history-of-decatur/7 |access-date=2024-12-09 |website=www.cityofdecatur.in.gov}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Hellmann|first=Paul T.|title=Historical Gazetteer of the United States|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=REtEXQNWq6MC&pg=PA313|date=14 February 2006|publisher=Routledge|isbn=1-135-94859-3|page=313}}</ref> It was named for [[Stephen Decatur|Stephen Decatur Jr.]], one of the captains of the original six frigates of the US navy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=5295|title=Profile for Decatur IN|publisher=[[ePodunk]]|access-date=26 August 2014|archive-date=August 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140827121306/http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=5295|url-status=dead}}</ref> A post office was established in Decatur in 1837.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=IN&county=Adams|title=Adams County |publisher=Jim Forte Postal History|access-date=26 August 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140827165043/http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=IN&county=Adams|archive-date=27 August 2014}}</ref> Decatur was incorporated in 1853.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New to Decatur - Decatur Chamber of Commerce |url=https://www.decaturchamber.org/Services/New%20to%20Decatur |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=www.decaturchamber.org}}</ref>

===Post-Civil War history===
After the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], Decatur was known as a [[sundown town]], where [[African Americans]] were discriminated against and eventually run out of the town completely in 1902.<ref name=":0" /> In a ''[[New York Times]]'' article published on July 14, 1902, the headline read, "Negro Driven Away," and it recounted the story of the violent mob attacks which drove away African Americans from Decatur during the summer of 1902. The last line from the article explicitly concluded, "The anti-negroites declare that as Decatur is now cleared of Negroes they will keep it so, and the importation of any more will undoubtedly result in serious trouble."<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Loewen |first=James W. |author-link=James W. Loewen |title=Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism |publisher=[[The New Press]] |year=2005 |isbn=9781620974346 |location=New York}}</ref> A month before the last Black person was reportedly forced out of Decatur, the ''[[Indianapolis Freeman]]'' reported that 50 men began driving the Black people out because they "were determined that colored people should not live in the town."<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 25, 2022 |title=Decatur, Indiana |url=https://justice.tougaloo.edu/sundowntown/decatur-in/ |access-date=April 25, 2022 |website=History & Social Justice |archive-date=May 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519111354/https://justice.tougaloo.edu/sundowntown/decatur-in/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Eventually African Americans began slowly settling in town; however, due to the sundown policies that persisted throughout much of the 1900s, the current demographics still indicate a low percentage of Black residents.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/decatur-in-population/ |title=World Population Review/Decatur IN |access-date=June 27, 2019 |archive-date=June 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190627193229/http://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/decatur-in-population/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bymattruff.com/my-novels/lovecraft-country/a-readers-guide-to-lovecraft-country/sundown-towns/ |title=''A Reader's Guide to Sundown Towns'' |access-date=June 27, 2019 |archive-date=October 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241005081705/https://bymattruff.com/lovecraft-country/a-readers-guide-to-lovecraft-country/sundown-towns/ |url-status=live }}</ref>[[File:Negroes Driven Away.jpg|alt=Negroes Driven Away|thumb|''[[New York Times]]'' article detailing the last Black man to be forcefully driven out of Decatur, Indiana.|none]]

==Geography==
According to the [[2010 United States census]], Decatur has a total area of {{convert|5.786|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|5.78|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (or 99.9%) is land and {{convert|0.006|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (or 0.1%) is water.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1817074|title=Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1|access-date=28 July 2015|publisher=US Census Bureau|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213063504/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1817074|archive-date=13 February 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Demographics==

===2020 census===
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]] there were 9,913 people and 4,278 households. The population density was {{convert|1,713.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.<ref name="QuickFacts2021">{{cite web |title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Decatur city, Indiana; United States |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/decaturcityindiana,US/PST045221 |website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=18 February 2022 |language=en |archive-date=October 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241005081649/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/decaturcityindiana,US/PST045221 |url-status=live }}</ref> There were 4,572 housing units at an average density of {{convert|851.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.<ref name="DataProfile">{{cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US1817074 |website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=18 February 2022 |language=en |archive-date=February 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218202708/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US1817074 |url-status=live }}</ref> The racial makeup of the city was 91.1% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 7.3% [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]],
1.2% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.1% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]] or Alaska Native, and  0.5% from two or more races.<ref name="QuickFacts2021"/> 96.1% speak English and 3.4% speak Spanish at home. All residents of Decatur were citizens. The ancestral background of most residents was 33.3% German, 7.1% English, and 6.9% Irish.

The average age for Decatur residents was 40.5 years. Of the total population, 6.8% were veterans and 15.8% have a visible or non-visible disability.<ref name="DataProfile"/> An estimated 4.6% of residents are uninsured.<ref name="QuickFacts2021"/>

Of the 4,278 households, 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 35% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 27.3% of the residents were never married.<ref name="QuickFacts2021"/><ref name="DataProfile"/> The average household size was 2.24.<ref name="QuickFacts2021"/>

The median income for a household in the city was $45,149, and the median income for a family was $58,542. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $23,059. Additionally, 13.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], a 57.4% difference from the 2020 census.<ref name="QuickFacts2021"/> This includes 15.4% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over. There was a total of 4,572 housing units, with 64.3% being owned by residents and 12.5% being rented.<ref name="DataProfile"/>

Of the total residents of Decatur, 43.9% have a high school or equivalent degree and 12.9 have a bachelor's degree or higher. The latter is 70% lower than the state average. The majority of residents work in manufacturing (37.4%), education, social services and health care (14.2%) and retail (13.6%).<ref name="DataProfile"/>

Only 76.3% of residents had broadband internet access, in contrast to 80.1% of state residents.<ref name="QuickFacts2021"/>

==Government==
[[File:Decatur-indiana-courthouse.jpg|thumb|upright|Adams County courthouse, Decatur, Indiana, 2006]]
The government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of five members. Four are elected from individual districts. One is elected at-large. A clerk-treasurer is also elected in citywide vote.

==Education==
The local high school in Decatur is [[Bellmont High School]]; approximately 700 students attend BHS. Local elementary and middle school students attend Bellmont Elementary School and Bellmont Middle School. St. Joseph Catholic School serves students in grades K-8. Zion Lutheran School, Wyneken Memorial Lutheran School, and St. Peter-Immanuel Lutheran School also serve students in grades PK-8.

Decatur has a public library, a branch of the Adams Public Library System.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.apls.lib.in.us/|title=Homepage|publisher=Adams Public Library System|access-date=3 March 2018|archive-date=March 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180304172740/http://www.apls.lib.in.us/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Media==
Decatur is home to one newspaper, ''The Decatur Daily Democrat'', which was founded in 1857.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Democrat |first=Decatur Daily |date=2023-07-18 |title=decaturdailydemocrat.com {{!}} Adam County's News Source Since 1857 |url=https://www.decaturdailydemocrat.com/ |access-date=2023-07-20 |website=Decatur Daily Democrat |language=en |archive-date=July 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230720073434/https://www.decaturdailydemocrat.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Adams memorial hospital.jpg|thumb|upright|Adams Memorial Hospital]]

==Healthcare==
Decatur is home to the Adams Memorial Hospital which was designated as one of the "Top 100" Critical Access Hospitals in the United States. The hospital was established on June 30, 1923, during election day in Adams County After voters were posed with a question of constructing a county hospital.<ref>{{Cite web |title=100th Anniversary |url=https://adamshospital.org/about/100th-anniversary/ |access-date=2023-07-20 |website=Adams Memorial Hospital |language=en-US |archive-date=October 5, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241005081636/https://adamshospital.org/about/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Architecture==
Decatur is also known for its modern architecture, with over 18 sculptures throughout its downtown area.

[[File:Adams County IN Court House 1935.jpg|thumb|Adams County courthouse, Decatur, Indiana, 1935]]

==Notable people==
* [[David Anspaugh]], [[television director|television]] and [[film director]], ''[[Hoosiers (film)|Hoosiers]]'', ''[[Rudy (film)|Rudy]]''
* [[John Fetzer]], former owner of [[Detroit Tigers]]
* [[Bob Hite (announcer)|Bob Hite Sr.]], radio and television announcer for CBS
* [[David Smith (sculptor)|David Smith]], Sculptor

==See also==
* [[Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures]]
* [[List of sundown towns in the United States]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Adams County, Indiana]]
* ''[[Peace Monument (Decatur, Indiana)|Peace Monument]]''
{{clear right}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|http://www.decaturin.org/}}
* ''[http://www.decaturdailydemocrat.com/ Decatur Daily Democrat]''
* [http://www.decaturchamber.org/ Decatur Chamber of Commerce]

{{Adams County, Indiana}}
{{Fort Wayne Metro}} {{County Seats of Indiana}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Adams County, Indiana]]
[[Category:Cities in Indiana]]
[[Category:Micropolitan areas of Indiana]]
[[Category:County seats in Indiana]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1836]]
[[Category:1836 establishments in Indiana]]
[[Category:Racially motivated violence against African Americans in Indiana]]
[[Category:Sundown towns in Indiana]]