Merrillville, Indiana

Merrillville is a town in Ross Township, Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 35,246 at the 2010 census. Merrillville is located in the east-central portion of Lake County.

Geography
Merrillville is located at 41.48567°N, -87.33539°W.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 33.3 square miles (86.3 km²), of which, 33.3 square miles (86.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.09%) is water.

The town is centered around the intersection of US 30 and Interstate 65. The Lincoln Highway runs through Merrillville. The original alignment of Lincoln Highway is known as 73rd Avenue (also called Old Lincoln Highway) in Merrillville, while the current Lincoln Highway (US Highway 30) is known as 81st Avenue. State Road 53 (Broadway) and State Road 55 (Taft Street) traverse the town from north to south.

History
Merrillville is located on what used to be woodland that belonged to the Potawatomi Indians. In 1834, a clearing was created for ceremonial purposes and was called McGwinn Village. A year later, a white man by the name of Jeremiah Wiggins settled in the place; McGwinn Village thus gave way to Wiggins Point.

Under the name Wiggins Point, the place became a well-known stop for wagon trains heading to Joliet, Illinois along the old Sac Trail (also called the Sauk Trail), which was an old Indian trail. At one time, 16 trails radiated outward from Wiggins Point. In 1838, Wiggins died. Sometime afterwards, local settlers renamed the place Centerville. Later still, it was renamed Merrillville after the brothers Dudley and William Merrill. Dudley Merrill operated a hotel and store in Centerville, and his son John P. Merrill was a Township Trustee.

Nearby, in the same former hunting grounds of the Potawatomi Indians, other settlements had sprung up. Near Deep River creek was a settlement named Deep River; near Turkey Creek was another settlement with that creek's name. Other settlements included Ainsworth, Lottaville, and Rexville. At one time, the post office for the area was named Lottaville.

In 1848, all of these settlements, including Merrillville (that is, the old McGwinn Village) were collected into one and called Ross Township. As time went by, bits and pieces of Ross Township were taken by Hobart and Crown Point when those towns incorporated.

In 1971, the area officially became Merrillville (which now includes the old Merrillville as well as other settlements nearby) and was incorporated as a town under Indiana law. At one time, Merrillville was known as the "largest town" in the U.S., with that distinction now going to Gilbert, Arizona.

In 1993, a large unincorporated area of Lake County along US 30, east of Mississippi St. and west of Indiana 51 was annexed by the neighboring city of Hobart. The residents of this area, although living in unincorporated Ross Township, associated themselves with Merrillville. This is because they were served by Merrillville schools and Post Office. As the area continues to be served by the Merrillville post office, local residents and businesses continue to identify themselves as being in Merrillville rather than Hobart.

Due to the unique shape of the annexed areas, someone travelling west on U.S. 30 will enter Lake County in Merrillville, then cross into Hobart, then cross into Merrillville again.

In 2009, a pedestrian bridge at Hidden Lake Park collapsed, injuring at least 25 people. The catastrophe occurred around 10 PM after the annual Fourth of July fireworks display, when several dozen people attempted to cross the wood suspension bridge. Police officers stationed at either side of the bridge were unable to stop the advancing parkgoers, and with numerous people jumping up and down the 30 year old bridge collapsed, sending somewhere around fifty people into the waters of Hidden Lake.

Economy
Merrillville is a hub for retail trade in Northwest Indiana. The US 30 corridor between Taft Street and Colorado Street harbors a large concentration of big-box retailers, hotels, restaurants, and automobile dealerships. Westfield Southlake, one of the largest shopping malls in Indiana, is located in this area.

Ameriplex at the Crossroads, an industrial and technology park, opened at Broadway between 93rd Avenue and 101st Avenue in 2005. The development is designated an Indiana Certified Technology Park and includes two Purdue University related facilities: Purdue University Calumet's Academic Learning Center and a business incubator/technology center operated by the Purdue Research Foundation.

Heavy industry such as steelmaking and petroleum refining that characterizes the economy of northern Lake County does not have a significant presence in Merrillville.

The town is home to the corporate headquarters of NiSource, a Fortune 500 company.

Merrillville's nearest commercial airports are Griffith-Merrillville Airport in Griffith and Gary/Chicago International Airport in Gary.

Merrillville is also protected by Indiana's largest volunteer fire department, the Ross Township Fire Service. It maintains over 120 all volunteer firefighters over four stations placed throughout the town.

Chicagoland's Largest Waterpark is located in Merrillville. Deep River Waterpark

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 35,246 people and 14,842 households in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 46.40% White, 44.50% African American, 0.20% Native American, 1.20% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 4.60% from other races, and 3.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.90% of the population.

As of 2009, the median income for a household in the town was $50,088 while the mean income for a household in the town was $57,856. The median income for a family was $57,113 and the mean income for a family was $63,684. The estimated per capita income for the town was $23,256. About 6.7% of families and 8.8% of the population were estimated to be below the poverty line.

Transportation
Gary Public Transportation Corporation provides bus service along Broadway Avenue corridor and within the US 30 retail/office corridor. Those routes are partially funded by Northwest Indiana Regional Bus Authority. The closest South Shore Line station is located in downtown Gary and can be reached using GPTC Route 17. The closest Amtrak station is located in Dyer, Indiana. It cannot be directly reached by public transit as of this writing.

Education
Public education in the town of Merrillville is provided by the Merrillville Community School Corporation.

Lake County Public Library operates the Central Library at 1919 West 81st Avenue in Merrillville.