Town of Griffith, Indiana

Location in the state of Indiana
County	Lake
Area   –Land   –Water	18.6 km² 18.6 km² 0.0 km²
Population   –Total (2000)   –Density	17,334 933.4/km²
Time zone   –Summer (DST)	CST (UTC-6) CDT (UTC-5)
Latitude Longitude	41°31'51" N 87°25'33" W
Official website: www.griffithindiana.com

Griffith is a town located in Lake County, Indiana and Calumet Township of Lake County, USA. It is a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, and is located in "The Region" of Northwest Indiana. It is surrounded by the Town of Highland, Indiana to the west, the City of Hammond, Indiana to the north, the town of Schererville, Indiana to the south, and unincorperated Calumet Township to the east. The town boundaries incorporate ancient Calumet Shore lines of Lake Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 17,334. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (512x800, 33 KB) Summary Description: Red Dot map of Indiana, showing the location of Griffith Source: Self-made from public data sources Date: 07:01, 22 October 2005 (UTC) Author: Sean Baker ( Marvin01 | talk ) Permission: Free use, with attribution, under the... Official language(s) English Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 38th 94,321 km² 225 km 435 km 1. ... List of Indiana counties: Adams County Allen County Bartholomew County Benton County Blackford County Boone County Brown County Carroll County Cass County Clark County Clay County Clinton County Crawford County Daviess County Dearborn County Decatur County DeKalb County Delaware County Dubois County Elkhart County Fayette County Floyd County Fountain County... Location in the state of Indiana Formed Seat Crown Point Area  - Total  - Water 1,622 km² (626 mi²) 335 km² (129 mi²) 20. ... Area is a physical quantity expressing the size of a part of a surface. ... To help compare sizes of different geographic regions, we list here areas between 10 km² (1000 hectares) and 100 km² (10,000 hectares). ... A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ... A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... A time zone is a region of the Earth that has adopted the same standard time, usually referred to as the local time. ... Daylight saving time (DST), often referred to as daylight savings time, is a widely used system of adjusting the official local time forward, usually one hour, from its official winter standard time for the duration of the spring and summer months. ... The Central Standard Time Zone (CST) is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting six hours from Coordinated Universal Time UTC. In the United States, the time zone includes the entire area of the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas except for El... UTC redirects here. ... The Central Standard Time Zone (CST) is a geographic region that keeps time by subtracting six hours from UTC (UTC-6). ... UTC redirects here. ... Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter φ, gives the location of a place on Earth north or south of the Equator. ... Longitude, sometimes denoted by the Greek letter λ, describes the location of a place on Earth east or west of a north-south line called the Prime Meridian. ... Location in the state of Indiana Formed Seat Crown Point Area  - Total  - Water 1,622 km² (626 mi²) 335 km² (129 mi²) 20. ... Highland is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Indiana: Highland, Lake County, Indiana Highland, Vanderburgh County, Indiana This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Official website: http://www. ... Schererville is a town located in Lake County, Indiana. ...

Geography

Griffith, Indiana is located at 41°31'51" North, 87°25'33" West (41.530835, -87.425812)^GR1.The town has an Elevation: 637 feet. Located in Lake County, Northwest Indiana. The following is a list of sources used in the creation of Wikipedia articles on various geographic topics and locations, such as cities, counties, states, and countries. ...

History of Griffith, Indiana

In its heyday, it saw more than 180 trains pass through its town boundaries! In it’s beginnings, it was normal for its citizens to be called “clod hoppers”. It’s in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most baseball diamonds for its population, and for the most train tracks to intersect at one point. It was nearly called Dwiggin’s Junction but we know it best as Griffith. The town that came to the tracks! The Guinness Book of Records (or in recent editions Guinness World Records, and in previous US editions Guinness Book of World Records) is a book published annually, containing an internationally recognized collection of superlatives: both in terms of human achievement and the extrema of the natural world. ...

Humble start "The Clod Hoppers"

The year was 1853, The United States Congress, and the Indiana State Legislature had just passed the Swamp Reclamation Act under terms from the Northwest Ordinance. The stage was set for the wave of immigrants that would change the face of our country. The Northwest Ordinance (formally An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States, North-West of the River Ohio, and also known as the Freedom Ordinance) was an act of the Continental Congress of the United States passed on July 13, 1787 under the Articles of Confederation. ...

They had left their native Germany for the uncertain future of life in the wilds of new and hostile land. Alone and with only a few goods which could be transported across a 700 mile journey with horse and carriage, they camped in a clearing on higher ground, an area of the ancient Glenwood and Calumet shorelines, the future town of Griffith. Their first home was a sod roofed dugout. Glenwood is the name of several places in North America: Glenwood, Arkansas Glenwood, Georgia Glenwood, Illinois Glenwood, Iowa Glenwood, Maryland Glenwood, Minnesota Glenwood, New York Glenwood, Utah Glenwood, Washington Glenwood, Newfoundland and Labrador Places with Glenwood in their name include Glenwood City, Wisconsin Glenwood Canyon, Colorado Glenwood Springs, Colorado This... Calumet is the name (or part of the name) of a number of places in the United States of America: Calumet, Iowa Calumet, Michigan Calumet, Minnesota Calumet, Oklahoma Calumet, Wisconsin Calumet City, Illinois Calumet County, Wisconsin Calumet Farm was a well-known Thoroughbred horse breeding farm. ...

The man and his brother would drain, plow, and plant 40 acres of buckwheat, corn, and potatoes purchased through the swamp act. The woman gave birth to 8 children who would go on to build a town.

In their relative isolation of the area they made a start. As others followed in the next few years they would join forces with them in a communal effort to prosper. Mithias and Anna Miller had set the path for others to follow.

Other first settlers to the area was Peter Young, Peter Govert, The Walters family, The Grimmer family, and the Beiriger family. There is currently an elementry school in Griffith named after Peter J. Beiriger.

It was nearly Dwiggins Junction

Soon visionary pioneers and developers came to the area. Two developers in particular, Brothers Jay and Elmer Dwiggins, were often referred to as “the town founders.” The Dwigginses were land developers and speculators. They had grand visions for what is today the town of Griffith. In fact, at one point in time the brothers toyed with the idea of naming the area Dwiggins Junction. Because of the large amount of train tracks in the area, their plan was to create a factory town, which attracted companies like, "Pleasant Remedies", an ice plant, and "The Pennsylvania Art Glass Company." Their idea was to rival their big neighbor to the north, Chicago. Needless to say, their plan was never fulfilled. The Dwiggins brothers unfortunately did not have the financial backing they needed, because of a depression that occurred known as the Panic of 1893 in Griffith history. Due to the Panic of 1893, the area’s visionary brothers left a struggling “soon to be town.” Other town developers include Aaron Hart a pioneer developer through the area who drained marshy land by a ditch called Hart Ditch. Chicago (officially named the City of Chicago) is the third largest city in the United States (after New York City and Los Angeles), with an official population of 2,896,016, as of the 2000 census. ... The Panic of 1893 was a serious decline in the economy of the United States that began in 1893 and was precipitated in part by a run on the gold supply. ...

The future for the area seemed quite dim. However, because of its railroads, the area had a chance of survival.

The Town That Came to the Tracks

The area’s excellent rail connections promised much for a new town. The rail connections served as Lake County’s grandest rail road crossing. The junction brought in trains on the Michigan Central, Erie, Grand Trunk, Elgin Joliet & Eastern (EJ&E) and The Chesapeake and Ohio, many going to and from Chicago. Currently there are only two railroads that travel through the town. The EJ&E railroad, and the Grand Trunk Railroad. Farmers in the area welcomed the train traffic for a way to ship out milk and other agricultural products.

The town’s close association with railroads is even reflected in its name. While controversy surrounds the origin of the name of Griffith for the town, the one generally accepted today centers on a railroad surveyor for the Grand Trunk, a Mr. Benjamin Griffith, who set the grade for that railroad. He worked on preparations of railroad maps, which he signed and it became only natural for railroaders using these maps to refer to this area as “Griffith Section.” Since railroads dominated the town, the name stuck.

New century -- New town

As the country moved into the twentieth century, the tiny community sifted through the rubble of the broken dreams of the Dwiggins brothers. In the wake of the whirlwind, they had battled against a national depression, bank failures, discouragement, and doubt during a painful period of let down. Those who stayed in the area came together in the settlement of unfinished factories, broken dreams, and a town that only lived in aspiration and paper. With the backbone of the area, the railroads prospering, citizens of the community looked into the future with hope and encouragement. Four years after the turn of the century, in 1904, Griffith was incorporated as a town. If Griffith wanted to, it could have expanded its boundaries all the way to what Munster is today because they were not incorporated until 2 years after Griffith was. Confidence was everywhere throughout America. From the foreign policy of “jingoism” and “gun-boat diplomacy” to the technological leaps of the Indiana born Wright Brothers, America was on the move, and the tiny town of Griffith was following in her tracks. Griffith continued to attract farmers, railroad workers, and factory workers to its town. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s The 20th century lasted from 1901 to 2000 in the Gregorian calendar (often from (1900 to 1999 in common usage). ... Munster (Irish: An Mhumhain, IPA: ) is the southernmost province of Ireland, comprising the counties of Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford. ... Jingoism is a term describing chauvinistic patriotism, usually with a hawkish political stance. ... Orville Wright Wilbur Wright The Wright Brothers, Orville Wright (August 19, 1871 - January 30, 1948) and Wilbur Wright (April 16, 1867 - May 30, 1912), are generally credited with the design and construction of a practical airplane, and making a controlled, powered, heavier-than-air flight, along with many other aviation...

First steps - A young town

Griffith’s first town board met for the first time on November 19, 1904 in Harkenrider Hall. William Peter Govert was the first trustee elected from the first district of Griffith. Mathias Grimmer was from the second district, and Moses Toohill as the third district representative. Matt Beiriger had been elected to the position of Clerk – Treasurer. These men were given the title “The founding fathers of Griffith” because they established the first local government in Griffith.

As years went by, work was done. The town evolved, grew, and became great. More and more streets were being paved as the town expanded away from “the junction.” Between 1905 and 1910, all able bodied men were required to work two days each month on development of town roads. Those who missed a day had to pay $1.50.

A town hall and police station complex was constructed in 1912 at a cost of $4,853. This complex housed Griffith’s government and the police station. It gave Griffith a tradition of a crime-free community for many years because of men like John Harkenrider, Griffith’s first marshal, Deputy John Taylor, and Dan Walters, town Marshall between 1914 and 1917. Currently, the Griffith Police Department is headed by a chief rather than a marshal.

In the spring 1912, the Griffith Public school system was created when Franklin School was built on Broad Street in downtown Griffith. In downtown Griffith Public transportation was available at this time with Hammond buses. Elementary and high school education was offered at the first school house. Griffith’s population continued to grow through the years. Many places of worship were being constructed in the town, most Christian affiliated.

While Catholics were the largest domination in town, they were relatively slow to organize their own parish. However, in 1921, the dioceses gave permission for the citizens of Griffith to split from St. Michael’s Church in Schererville, and Saint Mary Parish was formed. Now, Griffith Catholics didn’t have to travel all the way to St. Michael’s every Sunday. The new Catholic parish offered a place for public gatherings, religious worship, and an elementary and junior high school education in the town of Griffith. Schererville is a town located in Lake County, Indiana. ...

In August of 1920, the Griffith Volunteer Fire Department was established. Verne D. Konopasek headed the Griffith Fire Department at its start. Currently, there is still a Volunteer Fire Department in the town of Griffith. The Fire Department was well equipped with the technologically advanced equipment for that time period. The “Red Speed Wagon” was the department’s pride and joy. Most of these older fire engines can be seen at various fire stations throughout Griffith or in Fourth of July parades to this day.

The Great Depression

Griffith was riding high along with the rest of the country on the morning of October 24, 1929. By the evening of that day, dreams of permanent prosperity were torn apart by the crash. The new Griffith State Bank had just opened its historical doors on the corner of Main and Broad. It tried its best to stay open during the depression until it was robbed and was forced to close. It is uncertain who robbed the bank, but it has been speculated that it was the work of the infamous John Dillinger. The bank turned into a library, and then an art center. Currently, this building is vacant, but is protected as a historical site and is one of the oldest buildings in Griffith. John Dillinger John Herbert Dillinger (June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American bank robber, considered by some to be a dangerous criminal, while others idealised him as a latter-day Robin Hood. ...

Although Griffith was in the middle of the Great Depression and World War II had broken out in Europe, optimistic views were still present throughout the town. In 1930, Ernie Strack opened a grocery store in downtown Griffith. It became a success in Northwest Indiana, and the chain is currently known as Strack and Van Tils. Dorothea Langes Migrant Mother depicts destitute pea pickers in California, centering on Florence Owens Thompson, a mother of seven children, age 32, in Nipomo, California, March 1936. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead:17 million Civilian dead:33 million Total dead:50 million Military dead:8 million Civilian dead:4 million Total dead:12 million World War II...

Start of the modern age

In the late 40's and early 50's after the second world war, the man where "The Buck Stopped" Harry S. Truman was president of the United States, and the baby boomer generation was evolving. Along with the baby boomers came the nuclear age (the era after the bomobings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ending WWII.) Griffith experienced success and a larger population. New subdivisions were added to the town. Elementary schools, such as Ready, Beiriger, and Wadsworth, were built to satisfy the population. Griffith High School was one of the first public high schools in the area. Students from Munster, Highland, and Schererville attended Griffith High School until those communities established their own high schools. Griffith became a community known for its warmth and friendliness. Athletics was a large part of the community. Many people at this time called Griffith, “Baseball Town USA” for its popularity in the town. Griffith also boasted at this time a new apartment complex off Ridge Road called, “The Mansards” were they advertised, “Living in the Mansards is like taking a vacation at home.” Now, the Mansards might not seem as extravagant. Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972) was the thirty-fourth Vice President (1945) and the thirty-third President of the United States (1945–1953), succeeding to the office upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. ... A baby boomer is someone who was born during the period of increased birth rates when economic prosperity arose in many countries following World War II. In the United States, the term is commonly used to refer to the generation which demographic popularizers have identified with birth years from the... Munster (Irish: An Mhumhain, IPA: ) is the southernmost province of Ireland, comprising the counties of Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford. ... The Highland unitary authority area (Roinn na Gàidhealtachd in Gaelic) is a local government area in the Scottish Highlands and the largest local government area in Scotland. ... Schererville is a town located in Lake County, Indiana. ...

In 1997, the Griffith High School football team won the class 4A State title and since then, it is fair to say that Griffith residents love their Griffith Panther football. Griffith High School is a high school located at 600 N. Wiggs St. ...

Currently, the population of Griffith is at 17,334 citizens and it still holds true to its reputation of a friendly community, even though it is not a farm town anymore, rather a built up metropolitan suburb. However, Griffith still has room to grow. Griffith recently annexed unclaimed land to its south and is looking at more areas to its south such as New Elliot.

From the time that Mathias and Anna Miller first settled in the area to present day, we can see there are many things that shaped Griffith into what it is today. Most of all the rail roads made Griffith what it is... "The Town That Came to the Tracks".

Government

Town council elected government

• Mr. Ronald Szafarczyk (D) Clerk-Treasurer
• Mrs. Linda "Greta" Carroll (D) 1st Ward - Member
• Mr. Richard Konopasek (D) 2nd Ward - Menber
• Mr. Richard A. Ryfa (R) 3rd Ward - Member
• Mr. Michael Gulley (D) 4th Ward - Vice President (2006)
• Mr. Stanley Dobosz (D) 5th Ward - President (2006)

School Town of Griffith School Corporation

• Griffith Senior High School - Public
• Griffith Junior High School - Public
• Peter J. Beiriger Elementary School - Public
• Eldon Ready Elementary School - Public
• Benjamin Franklin Elementary School - Public
• Wadsworth Elementary School - Public
• St. Mary Catholic Elementary School - Private
• St. Mary Catholic Junior High School - Private

Griffith Public Schools Board of School Trustees

• Mr. Kevin Sudac - President
• Mr. Daniel W. Govert - First Vice President
• Mr. Jon D. Terpstra - Second Vice President
• Mr. James R. Konopasek - Secretary
• Mr. James D. Reyome - Assistant Secretary
• Mr. Peter N. Morikis - Superintendent of Schools
• Mr. Gary J. Sutton - Assistant to the Superintendent
• Mr. Michael Dobosz - School Town of Griffith Attorney

Griffith private schools administration

• St. Mary Catholic Elementary & Junior High School
  • Pastor (St. Mary Parish): Reverand Theodore Mens
  • Bishop (Dioceses of Gary): Bishop Dale Melczek

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 18.6 km² (7.2 mi²). 18.6 km² (7.2 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... A square mile is an Imperial unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (5,280 feet, 1,760 yards, 1,609. ...

Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 17,334 people, 6,728 households, and 4,749 families residing in the town. The population density was 933.4/km² (2,417.7/mi²). There were 6,990 housing units at an average density of 376.4/km² (974.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 84.01% White, 10.11% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.81% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.86% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races. 8.43% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). ... The following is a list of sources used in the creation of Wikipedia articles on various geographic topics and locations, such as cities, counties, states, and countries. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ...

There were 6,728 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.10. The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ...

In the town the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $50,030, and the median income for a family was $57,090. Males had a median income of $44,817 versus $27,036 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,866. 3.9% of the population and 2.7% of families were below the poverty line. 3.9% of those under the age of 18 and 3.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. The per capita income for a group of people may be defined as their total personal income, divided by the total population. ... Map of countries showing percentage of population who have an income below the national poverty line The poverty line is the level of income below which one cannot afford to purchase all the resources one requires to live. ...

The town motto is: The town that came to the tracks.

External links

Coordinates: 41.530835° N -87.425812° E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically); large version (pdf) The geographic (earth-mapping) coordinate system expresses every horizontal position on Earth by two of the three coordinates of a spherical coordinate system which is aligned with the spin axis of the Earth. ...

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