Bloomington and Monroe County Facts

Bloomington was settled around 1815 and platted on April 11, 1818. There are many legends surrounding the naming of Bloomington. One oral tradition maintains that the name was suggested when a group of early settlers, gazing from a hill overlooking the site, were impressed by the flowers and foliage which were in bloom. Another legend suggests that the name honors an early settler, William Bloom.

Population

Monroe County 128,643 (2007 est.); 132,940 (2010 proj.) Source: STATSIndiana

Bloomington 69,247 (July 1, 2006 est.) Source: U.S. Census Bureau


Race or Hispanic Origin

(Monroe County 2006 est.) Source: STATSIndiana

White: 110,325 (90.0%)

Asian American: 6,002 (4.9%)

African American: 3,984 (3.2%)

Hispanic or Latino: 2,716 (2.2%)

Two or More Race Groups: 1,877 (1.5%)

American Indian or Alaska Native: 376 (0.3%)

Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. 49 (0.0%)

Elevation

Highest point (Monroe County) : 1006 ft above sea level

Lowest point (Monroe County): 490 ft above sea level

Courthouse Square (Bloomington): 760 ft above sea level

Area

Monroe County: 394 sq.miles

Bloomington: 15.4 sq.miles incorporated

Time zone Eastern Standard time (all year)

Longitude: 86 degrees 31 minutes W

Latitude: 39 degrees 10 minutes N

Geography

4,591 miles to the North Pole from Bloomington

2,691 miles to the Equator from Bloomington

Climate

Average annual temperature is 53 to 55 F

Average annual rainfall is 42 to 43 inches

Average annual snowfall amounts total 12 to 18 inches

Last spring freeze generally occurs between April 20 and April 25.

The first fall freeze generally occurs between October 15 and October 20.

The growing season is normally 168 to 183 days in duration.

Monroe County Courthouse Fish

One of the most frequently asked question is "Why does Monroe County have a fish on top of the courthouse?" The answer is probably because Austin Seward, a Bloomington blacksmith, wanted to put it there. Mr. Seward made the weathervane for the 1827 courthouse which was replaced by the existing building in 1906. Mr. Seward was a Presbyterian church elder and probably chose the fish because of its Christian symbolism. Also, fish were common on weathervanes in the eastern and southern part of the country.

Lakes

Monroe County has seven lakes including Monroe Reservoir, Griffy lake, Lake Lemon and Yellowood lake.

Federal and State Forests

Hoosier National Forest contains 18,840 acres in the southeastern portion of the county.

Morgan-Monroe State Forest covers 23,443 acres in Brown, Monroe and Morgan counties.

County and City Parks

The park system consists of 1,902 acres in the county and 18 city parks.

Amusements

World famous I.U. Musical Arts center holds 1,440 and presents opera, jazz, and classical music. Many civic theater groups are active in town, staging a wide range of dramas year round. Art fairs, music festivals, county fairs and bicycle races are just a portion of the activities that take place year-round in Monroe County. There are ten museums ranging from the Monroe County Historical Museum to the Glenn A. Black laboratory of Archaeology.

Libraries

One county library (Monroe County Public Library); one branch library (Ellettsville); Family History Library; Indiana University Library system.

MONROE COUNTY TIME-LINE

1818: January 14, Monroe County created by State Legislature from part of Orange county

1820: State Legislature authorized establishment of a State seminary in Bloomington.

1833: Monroe County female seminary established.

1849: Joseph A. Wright, Bloomington resident, elected Governor , 1849-1897

1854: First Honey Creek School opened

1862: Six foot, eight inch, David Van Buskirk of Gosport, captured and sent to Libby Prison, later had audience with Confederate President, Jefferson Davis.

1876: Bloomington incorporated as a city, Charles W. Henderson, Mayor

1886: Fire destroys much of Ellettsville. I.U. men's football team established.

1890: Indiana Militia Company H. recruited

1908: New Courthouse dedicated

1910: United States center of population was located at 10th and Morton streets

1929: Hoosier musician/composer Hoagy Carmichael wrote "Stardust"

1931: Empire State building built from local limestone

1940: RCA began Bloomington factory. The Kinsey Institute was established. I.U men's basketball team won NCAA tournament

1953: I.U. men's basketball team won NCAA tournament

1965: Lake Monroe is opened to the public

1976: I.U. men's basketball team won NCAA tournament

1978: Breaking Away filmed at Indiana University, at a staged Little 500

1981: I.U. men's basketball team won NCAA tournament

1987: I.U men's basketball team won NCAA tournament

1992: John Waldron Arts Center dedicated

1995: John Fernandez elected Mayor of Bloomington

1997: New Monroe County Public Library building dedicated

1998: Thomson Consumer Electronics plant closed

2000: IU men's basketball Coach Bob Knight fired

2004: IU men's soccer team wins seventh national championship