Ossian, Indiana

Ossian is a town in Jefferson Township, Wells County, in the U.S. state of Indiana.[6] The town was named after Ossian, the narrator of a cycle of epic poems by the Scottish poet James Macpherson.[7] The population was 3,289 at the 2010 census.

Ossian, Indiana
Town
Town of Ossian
Motto(s): 
"Handed Down From Generation To Generation"
Location of Ossian in Wells County, Indiana.
Coordinates: 40°52′50″N 85°10′6″W
CountryUnited States
StateIndiana
CountyWells
TownshipJefferson
Area
 • Total1.68 sq mi (4.34 km2)
 • Land1.67 sq mi (4.31 km2)
 • Water0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation797 ft (256 m)
Population
 • Total3,289
 • Estimate 
(2019)[4]
3,382
 • Density2,030.01/sq mi (783.94/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
46777
Area code(s)260
FIPS code18-57168[5]
GNIS feature ID440726
Websitehttp://www.ossianin.com/

History

The Ossian post office has been in operation since 1850.[8] In 1843, Indiana State Road 1 was made serviceable from Fort Wayne to Bluffton. On January 25, 1850, the Fort Wayne and Bluffton Plank Road Company was then organized. The plank road was a toll road; any horse or horse-drawn vehicle had to pay a toll. The Fort Wayne, Cincinnati, & Louisville Railroad was built through Ossian in 1869, though it was not in complete operation until the following year. Today, the railroad is a significant north-south route for the Norfolk Southern Corporation. Ossian is still served by Indiana State Road 1, while four miles north is Interstate 469, the beltway around Fort Wayne, and also just seven miles south of Fort Wayne International Airport.

A 25-foot tall grain silo was painted to look like a minion from the Despicable Me movie on a nearby rural farm in 2016. A Vietnam War veteran mentioned the idea to his family and when he died at 73, family and friends painted it as a way to honor his memory. The grain silo soon became popular with people stopping by to view it from the road and was picked up by national news.[9][10]

Geography

Ossian is located at 40°52′50″N 85°10′6″W (40.880447, -85.168369).[11]

According to the 2010 census, Ossian has a total area of 1.44 square miles (3.73 km2), of which 1.43 square miles (3.70 km2) (or 99.31%) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) (or 0.69%) is water.[12]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
1880522—
1900529—
191066125.0%
19207249.5%
19307888.8%
1940784−0.5%
1950761−2.9%
19601,10845.6%
19701,53838.8%
19801,94526.5%
19902,42824.8%
20002,94321.2%
20103,28911.8%
Est. 20193,382[4]2.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[13]

2010 census

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 3,289 people, 1,287 households, and 909 families living in the town. The population density was 2,300.0 inhabitants per square mile (888.0/km2). There were 1,385 housing units at an average density of 968.5 per square mile (373.9/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.4% White, 0.2% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population.

There were 1,287 households, of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.4% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.98.

The median age in the town was 37.4 years. 26% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.7% were from 25 to 44; 25.2% were from 45 to 64; and 15.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

2000 census

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 2,943 people, 1,130 households, and 807 families living in the town. The population density was 1,972.0 people per square mile (762.6/km2). There were 1,168 housing units at an average density of 782.6 per square mile (302.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.44% White, 0.14% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.44% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.16% of the population.

There were 1,130 households, out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.9% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $45,449, and the median income for a family was $54,188. Males had a median income of $36,875 versus $25,682 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,925. About 3.0% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Northern Wells Community Schools serves northern Wells County, including the town of Ossian. The district operates four schools; Ossian Elementary, Lancaster Elementary, Norwell Middle School, and Norwell High School.[14]


Ossian has a public library, a branch of the Wells County Public Library.[15]

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References
  1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  2. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-11.
  4. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  5. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  6. "Ossian, Indiana". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2016-07-06.
  7. "History". About Ossian. Town of Ossian.
  8. "Wells County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  9. Mettler, Katie (June 10, 2016). "The heartbreaking reason a giant Minion stands watch in rural Indiana". Washington Post. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
  10. "Family Transforms 25-Foot Silo Into Enormous Minion". ABC News. June 10, 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
  11. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  12. "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2015-07-17.
  13. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  14. "Northern Wells Community Schools Home". nwcs.k12.in.us. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  15. "Service facilities". Wells County Public Library. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
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