Goshen, Indiana

Goshen is a city in and the county seat of Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. It is the smaller of the two principal cities of the Elkhart-Goshen Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in turn is part of the South Bend-Elkhart-Mishawaka Combined Statistical Area. It is located in the northern part of Indiana near the Michigan border, in a region known as Michiana. Goshen is located 10 miles south of Elkhart, 25 miles southeast of South Bend, 120 miles east of Chicago, and 150 miles north of Indianapolis. The population was 29,383 at the 2000 census. The city is known as a center of manufacturing for recreational vehicles and accessories, the home of Goshen College, a nationally recognized liberal arts college, and home to the Elkhart County 4-H Fair, the second largest county fair in the United States.

Geography
Goshen is located at 41.58194°N, -85.83667°W. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.4 square miles (34.7 km²), of which, 13.2 square miles (34.2 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (1.57%) is water. The Elkhart River winds its way through the city and through a dam on the south side making the Goshen Dam Pond. Rock Run Creek also runs through town.

The city is divided north/south by Main Street and east/west by Lincoln Avenue.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 29,383 people, 10,675 households, and 7,088 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,227.7 people per square mile (860.1/km²). There were 11,264 housing units at an average density of 854.0 per square mile (329.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.15% White, 1.53% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.10% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 12.00% from other races, and 1.94% from two or more races. 19.33% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 10,675 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.8% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $39,383, and the median income for a family was $46,877. Males had a median income of $32,159 versus $23,290 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,899. About 6.0% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.



Government
The government consists of a mayor, a clerk treasurer and a city council. The mayor and clerk is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of seven members. Five are elected from individual districts. Two are elected at-large.

Transportation
The Interurban Trolley bus connects Goshen to the nearby city of Elkhart and the unincorporated town of Dunlap via Concord and Elkhart-Goshen routes. The routes pass at Elkhart's Amtrak station, allowing passengers to connect to the Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited trains. Riders can also transfer to North Pointe route and Bittersweet/Mishawaka route. The former allows riders to connect to Elkhart's Greyhound bus station, while the later connects the riders to the city of Mishawaka and town of Osceola. The Bittersweet/Mishawaka route also allows them to transfer to TRANSPO Route 9 to connect to destinations throughout South Bend-Goshen metropolitan region and the South Shore Line's South Bend Regional Airport station.

Historic District
The Goshen Historic district, added in 1983 to the National Registor of Historic Places is bounded by Pike, RR, Cottage, Plymouth, Main, Purl, the Canal, and Second Sts. with the Elkhart County Courthouse at its center.

Recreation
Goshen has seven parks and has a few different greenways and trails winding through the city, one of which runs along the old Mill Race and hydraulic canal which was once used to power an old hydroelectric power plant. Plans drawn up in 2005 call for the plant to be reopened and redevelopment to begin along the canal.

The Elkhart County Fairgrounds are also located in the city, where in late July, the Elkhart County Fair is held. It is the largest county fair in Indiana and the second largest in attendance in the United States.

The Goshen Air Show is also an annual event that takes place at the Goshen Municipal Airport.

In 2007, Downtown Goshen, Inc., a public-private partnership formed from the merger of Face of the City and the Downtown Action Team, started a First Fridays program. Occurring year round, First Fridays happens on the first Friday of each month with stores open until 9, music and other entertainment, and other events occurring within Goshen's downtown district.

Fame
The South side Wal-Mart is rumored to be the first Wal-Mart in the United States to provide a covered stable for its frequent Amish customers. In fact, it was the Amish that built the stable with lumber and other supplies donated by Wal-Mart.

In 2005, Goshen-based soccer club FC Indiana became the first North American women's team ever to win league and cup double by winning the Women's Premier Soccer League national championship and the US Open Cup national championship.

In April 2006, Goshen was the site for an immigration march. Officials estimate that about 2000 to 3000 people marched from Linway Plaza to the County Courthouse.

Infamy

 * On April 11, 1965, a large outbreak of tornadoes struck the Midwest. The most famous pair of tornadoes devastated the Midway Trailer Park (now inside the city limits of Goshen), and the Sunnyside Housing Addition in Dunlap, Indiana, but a smaller F4 tornado also struck neighborhoods on the southeast side of Goshen on the same day. Statewide, 137 Hoosiers died in the storms—55 of them in Elkhart County. Days later, President Lyndon B. Johnson visited the Dunlap site.
 * On August 10, 1978 Judy Ann Ulrich, 18, of Osceola, Indiana, was driving a 1973 Ford Pinto along U.S. 33 West in Goshen, Indiana. Inside the car with her were her sister Lynn Marie, 16, and their cousin Donna Ulrich, 18. As they were heading north on U.S. 33, their car was struck from behind by a 1972 Chevrolet van. The Pinto collapsed like an accordion; the fuel tank ruptured; and the car exploded in flames. Lynn Marie and Donna burned to death in the car. Judy Ann was pulled from the wreckage but died from her injuries several hours later at Elkhart General Hospital. Two months earlier, Ford had recalled all Pintos produced from 1971 to 1976 to repair their defective gas tanks. The recall effort by Ford only came after it was revealed that more than 50 people had died in Pinto-related accidents. Elkhart County Prosecutor Michael Cosentino (1936–2010) sought and received a criminal indictment against the Ford Motor Company and took the company's executives to trial in 1979–80. On March 13, 1980, Ford was acquitted of the charges in a Pulaski County Court in Winamac, Indiana (where the case had been moved on a change of venue).

US Representatives

 * John Harris Baker (1832–1915)
 * Ebenezer M. Chamberlain (1805–1861)
 * Joseph Hutton Defrees (1812–1885)
 * Robert Lowery (1824–1904)

Entertainment

 * Kate Bolduan, CNN correspondent
 * James Carew, silent film actor (1876–1938)
 * Howard Hawks, film director (1896–1977)
 * Philip Proctor, voice-over talent (b. 1940)
 * Raymond L. Schrock, screenwriter (1892–1950)
 * James C. Strouse, screenwriter

Sports

 * Rick Mirer, NFL quarterback
 * Justin Yoder, soap box racer