Connersville, Indiana

Connersville is a city in Fayette County, Indiana, United States. The population was 13,481 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of and the only incorporated community wholly in Fayette County. The East Central Education Service Center is located in Connersville.

Geography
Connersville is located at 39.65389°N, -85.13778°W (39.653931, -85.137709).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.1 square miles (21.1 km²), of which, 8.1 square miles (21.1 km²) of it is land and 0.12% is water.

History
Connersville is named for settler John Conner, brother of William Conner, an early Indiana settler and politician. In the early 20th century, the town became known as "Little Detroit" because of its importance to the automobile industry. Automobiles manufactured in Connersville include Auburn, Cord, Duesenberg, Ansted, Empire, Lexington and McFarlan.

The Roots blower was manufactured in Connersville for many years.

Elmhurst, an estate south of town on St. Rd. 121, was the home of Caleb Blood Smith, who served in Abraham Lincoln's cabinet.

The Connersville High School Spartans boys' basketball team won the state tournament in 1972 and 1983. The girls' gymnastics team won state in 1987, 1988, and 1989.

On July 29, 2009, Carbon Motors Corporation announced plans to relocate their headquarters to Connersville and to invest $350 million to re-use a former Visteon plant there.

MusicFest
The Heritage MusicFest takes place in June at a campground by the Whitewater River. Local bands ranging in style from bluegrass to rock perform. The Connersville/Fayette County Chamber of Commerce sponsors the event, which began in 2005.

First high school marching band
During the school year 1906-07, Dr. W. Otto Miessner established the first high school marching band in the U.S. at Connersville High School.

Demographics


At the 2000 census, there were 15,411 people, 6,382 households and 4,135 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,894.5 per square mile (731.9/km²). There were 6,974 housing units at an average density of 857.3 per square mile (331.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.10% White, 2.48% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.65% of the population.

There were 6,382 households, of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34, and the average family size was 2.90.

Age distribution was 23.3% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.

The median household income was $33,911, and the median family income was $40,833. Males had a median income of $31,239 versus $21,836(***) for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,839. About 7.9% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.6% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.


 * This median income value did not include the $145,250 salary of Hannah Hilton Penthouse Pet and retired adult actress.

Rail transportation
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Connersville.

Amtrak Train 51, the westbound Cardinal, is scheduled to depart Connersville at 3:05 a.m. on Monday, Thursday and Saturday with a service to Indianapolis, Crawfordsville, Lafayette, Rensselaer, Dyer and Chicago Union Station.

Amtrak Train 50, the eastbound Cardinal, is scheduled to depart Connersville at 1:26 a.m. on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday with a service to Cincinnati, Maysville, South Portsmouth, Ashland, Huntington, Charleston, Montgomery, Thurmond, Prince, Hinton, Alderson, White Sulphur Springs, Clifton Forge, Staunton, Charlottesville, Culpeper, Manassas, Alexandria and Washington, DC, and continuing on to New York City.

Media
Connersville has a daily newspaper called The News Examiner.

Radio station WIFE-AM 1580 also operates with local programming. For many years Connersville simulcast AM/FM WCNB/WIFE radio. The FM which was located at 100.3 was sold to Radio One Communications for $18 million in 2006 and re-located to Cincinnati, Ohio. There is now a new FM radio station (94.3), whose tower is located in Rush County, Indiana.

Connersville High School's daily TV news program, CHS Today, was the first student-produced TV news program in the United States. It began in 1970 with presenters Dennis Sullivan and Ron Stevens. At first, it was broadcast only to the school via closed-circuit TV. Later it expanded; it now airs live at 11:00 a.m. weekdays to the community and re-airs twice in the evening at 6:45 & 10:45pm via TV3 on local cable. Teacher Joseph Glowacki started and still runs the program.

Notable people

 * Brace Beemer was the voice of the Lone Ranger from 1941 to 1954.
 * Sean Compton, Tribune Company President and former Clear Channel radio talent and executive, graduated from Connersville High School in 1992.
 * Howard Garns, creator of the logic game Sudoku, was born in Connersville on March 2, 1905.
 * Finly H. Gray was a US Congressman elected to represent Indiana's 6th and 10th Districts in the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1911 to 1917 and 1933 to 1939. He also served as Mayor of Connersville from 1904 to 1910. Gray is buried in Dale Cemetery, located on Gray Road in Connersville.
 * Scott Halberstadt, television actor, was born in Connersville in 1976 and graduated from Connersville High School in 1994.
 * Tom T. Hall, country singer and Grand Ole Opry member, spent time in Connersville early in his career and wrote "Thank You, Connersville" about the experience.
 * Matt Howard, a three-time Academic All-American starting forward for Butler University's men's basketball team, is a graduate of Connersville High School. He played in the 2010 and 2011 NCAA Championship games. In February 2011 Howard was selected as the top Academic All-American in the University category (chosen from all twelve Academic All-America teams, including football).
 * James N. Huston, Treasurer of the United States 1889-91
 * Caleb Blood Smith was congressman and Secretary of the Interior in the Lincoln administration.
 * Greg Stotelmyer, is currently the "Voice of the Colonels" for the Eastern Kentucky University's mens basketball and football teams. He also works for WTVQ news station of Richmond, KY, and has received four Emmy awards for A Year on Kentucky's Backroads (2003), He Loves to Beat People (2005), The Avon Lady (2007), and Marina's Story (2008)
 * Joey Sturgis, music producer, focusing mainly on metalcore bands. Clients include Attila, The Devil Wears Prada, MyChildren MyBride and Miss May I.
 * Robert Wise, one of Hollywood's most acclaimed directors and producers, graduated from Connersville High School in 1932. The CHS auditorium, the Robert E. Wise Center for Performing Arts, was named in his honor.