Adams County, Indiana

Adams County Education, Geography, and History

Adams County lies in northeastern Indiana in the United States and shares its eastern border with Ohio. According to the 2010 census, its population was 34,387, an increase of 2.27% from 33,625 in 2000. Adams County was created on March 1, 1836. The county seat is Decatur. The county is named for United States President John Quincy Adams.

Etymology - Origin of Adams County Name

The county is named for John Quincy Adams, Sixth President of the United States.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Adams County History

Adams County was organized March 1, 1836. A large tract of land lying between Allen and Randolph counties had been previously called Adams County, however, no organization had been effected. Decatur is the County Seat. Decatur was probably named in honor of Commodore Stephen Decatur

• Adams County is divided into 12 Civil Townships as follows: Blue Creek, French, Hartford, Jefferson, Kirkland, Monroe, Preble, Root, St. Marys, Union, Wabash and Washington.
• Adams County was organized March 1, 1836. A large tract of land lying between Allen and Randolph counties had been previously called Adams County, however, no organization had been effected.
• Decatur is the County Seat. Samuel Johnson offered as an inducement to have the county seat located on his land, the sum of $3,100, four church lots, half an acre for a public square, one acre for a seminary and two acres for a cemetery. He further agreed to pay the expenses of the locating commissioners, and furnish a house to hold court in until suitable buildings could be erected. The county commissioners promptly accepted the offer "and proceeded to the aforesaid town site, and marked a white oak tree with blazes on four sides, on each of which they individually inscribed their names."
• Decatur was probably named in honor of Commodore Stephen Decatur and in 1849 it had seventy houses (three of which were brick, twenty-one frame and the remainder of logs) with a population of about 400.
• According to the Society of Indiana Pioneers, an individual was a pioneer of our county if they resided here on or before December 31, 1840.
• Indiana automobile License Plates issued in Adams County start with the prefix 1 because it is the first county in alphabetical listing.

Geography: Land and Water

Adams county is located in northeast Indiana. The county is bordered on the north by Allen County, on the west by Wells County, and on the south by Jay County. The two Ohio counties of Van Wert and Mercer lie to the northeast and southeast.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Northeast: Van Wert County, Ohio
• Southeast: Mercer County, Ohio
• South: Jay County
• West: Wells County
• Northwest: Allen County

Education

Public schools in Adams County are administered by North Adams Community Schools, Adams Central Community Schools, and South Adams Schools. The Diocese of Fort Wayne and Lutheran Schools of Indiana both operate in Adams County as well. In all, these organizations operate 13 schools in the county

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