Fishers, Indiana

Fishers is a town located in Fall Creek and Delaware townships, Hamilton County, Indiana, with a population of 76,794, according to the 2010 census. A suburb of Indianapolis, Fishers has grown rapidly in recent decades: about 350 people lived there in 1963, 2,000 in 1980, and only 7,200 as recently as 1990. Fishers was ranked the 24th best place to live in America by Money magazine in 2005, 33rd in 2006, and 10th in 2008. In 2009, Fishers was named America's best affordable suburb by BusinessWeek. In 2010, Fishers was ranked eighth in the best places to live according to Money Magazine.

Fishers was originally named Mudsock. Eventually, the name was changed to Fishers Switch, a reference to the railroad switch assignment. It was named after Salathial Fisher and was later shortened to just Fishers in 1908.

Geography
Fishers is located at 39°57'22" North, 86°0'46" West (39.956177, -86.012754), along the West Fork of the White River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 21.8 square miles (56.4 km2), of which, 21.7 square miles (56.2 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2) of it is water. The total area is 0.46% water.

Government
Despite being a large municipality, Fishers does not use a city form of government, unlike nearby Noblesville and Carmel, and therefore doesn't elect a mayor. Fishers instead uses the council/manager form of government. The government of Fishers is led by a seven-member town council and a clerk-treasurer. The town council holds both legislative and executive powers while the clerk-treasurer is responsible for financial matters. All are elected at-large for four-year terms. The council elects a council president, currently Scott Faultless, and vice president yearly. The council employs and oversees a town manager who is responsible for municipal personnel, budget, and day-to-day operations of the town government. Currently the town manager of Fishers is Scott Fadness, who replaced Gary Huff, ICMA-CM in 2011.

In January 2009 the Geist United Opposition conceded a four-year legal battle with Fishers of the involuntary annexation of the contiguous, unincorporated area around Geist Reservoir. This will allow Fishers to annex and incorporate the affluent area of 2,200 homes on January 2, 2010, and tax it in 2011. It will also increase Fishers's population by about 5,500 people, making the town the eighth-largest community in Indiana.

In 1998, 75% voters in Fishers rejected a referendum to become a city. In 2008 the CityYes Fishers group began collecting signatures that would initiate a special election to become a city. The town has appointed a 44 member citizen study committee to review the benefits and drawbacks of a change of government type.

In December 2010 the Fishers Town Council approved a referendum that would let residents decide whether to become a city. The questions, to be voted on in 2011 or 2012, will ask whether residents support making Fishers a city and, if so, whether it should be a traditional city with an elected mayor or a modified city with a mayor chosen from the expanded nine-member city council. The latter would also merge the governments of Fishers and Fall Creek Township.

Demographics
Approximately 82,000 people lived in the town in March of 2011. The population density is 3,555.3 people per square mile (673.5/km2). There are 28,511 housing units at an average density of 1096.7 per square mile (271.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town is 85.60% White, 5.60% African American, 0.20% Native American, 5.50% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races, and 2.10% from two or more races. 3.40% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the town is $86,518, and the median income for a family is $103,176. Males have a median income of $58,275 versus $37,841 for females. The per capita income for the town is $31,891. 1.8% of the population and 1.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 1.6% of those under the age of 18 and 0.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Top employers
According to the Town's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

The Wesleyan Church has its headquarters in Fishers.

Entertainment
Fishers's increase in population has brought about an increased demand for entertainment.

Fishers Banquet and Conference Center, the largest banquet hall in town, has been host to Michelle Obama, Robert Kennedy Jr., Ethel Kennedy and Max Kennedy.

The Artists' Studio in Fishers is a community theater that produces many children's and family friendly shows. Ben and Ari's is a family owned mini-golf course, arcade, and duckpin bowling facility. Fishers is also home to the locally-owned Pinheads Entertainment Complex, which opened in August 2005 and received the Fishers Chamber of Commerce Pillar Award for Business of the Year in 2006.

Fishers is home to many restaurants including the Nickel Plate Bar & Grill, The Ram, Casler's Kitchen and Bar, and Petersons. Fishers is also home to popular nightlife and live music destinations such as Britton Tavern located at State Road 37 at 141st St.

Fishers offers a growing number of hotels with nearby essentials for tourists. One of the main attractions of Fishers is Geist Reservoir, offering attractions from fishing to waterskiing. There are also many golf courses around the town.

Fishers hosts the living history museum Conner Prairie, which presents Indiana life in three different periods of the 19th century.

Fishers also has the Indiana State Fair Train which runs from Fishers Station to Indianapolis.

Fairs
Fishers has three annual festivals: the Fishers Freedom Festival, the Flavor of Fishers, and the Fishers Renaissance Faire.

The Fishers Freedom Festival (FFF) takes place every year at the end of June, right before Independence Day. The 2008 festival was the 20th annual freedom celebration. A few annual traditions of the festival are a parade, a 5k run/walk named the Freedom Run, and a fireworks show on the last night of the festival. There are art and food vendors and game booths. The FFF is located at Roy G. Holland Memorial Park.

The Flavor of Fishers, presented by the Fishers Chamber of Commerce, takes place in early August. The first was held in 2008. Visitors attending the Flavor of Fishers can delight their senses through Tastes, with over 30 restaurants offering tastes of their best menu items and beer and wine; Sounds, provided by national and local bands; and Sights, a Family Fun Zone with inflatables and games.

The Fishers Renaissance Faire, presented by the Sister Cities Association of Fishers Indiana, began in 2005 and is held in early October on the grounds of Conner Prairie. Its purpose is to celebrate the Sister City relationship of Fishers with Billericay, England. The Faire features jousting, pirate shows, magicians, jesters, minstrels, a queen-complete with her royal court, a period village, authentic period/parody staged entertainment, period art and craft vendors, a wide variety of food and beverages as well as scripted interactions amongst the cast of 150 authentic, legendary and historic characters throughout the entire faire. Children's activities are provided by the Fishers Kiwanis and Key Clubs.

Schools
Fishers is served by Hamilton Southeastern School District, a district educating almost 19,000 students every day.

Fishers's quickly growing population has created a need for a similar growth in the number of schools within the Hamilton Southeastern School District as well as additions to existing schools. In 1996 there were four elementary schools, one middle school, one junior high school, and one high school. With the openings of Riverside School and Fishers High School in the 2006-2007 school year and Thorpe Creek Elementary in the 2008-2009 school year, the school district has twelve elementaries, three intermediate schools, three junior high schools and two high schools. For two years prior to Fishers High School's completion, it served as the freshman campus of the other high school, Hamilton Southeastern High School. The two high schools compete for the Mudsock trophy, named after the town's original name, and is won by winning against the other school in the most sports throughout the year.

Notable residents
Seattle native and Hollywood actress Frances Farmer is interred at Oaklawn Memorial Gardens in Fishers. Her grave site was widely ignored until the late 1970s and early 1980s when the media and an Academy Award nominated film, Frances, about the life of the actress shed light on her story, making Farmer somewhat of a cult figure.

Other famous residents of Fishers include former Indiana Pacers players Reggie Miller and Austin Croshere, Dahntay Jones of the Indiana Pacers, Zach Randolph of the Memphis Grizzlies, former Atlanta Hawks player Alan Henderson, NFL player Rosevelt Colvin formerly of the Houston Texans, Chicago Bears and New England Patriots, Joe Reitz of the Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts Defensive Line coach John Teerlinck and former San Diego Padres player Tony Gwynn.

Sister city
Fishers is twinned with Billericay, England, United Kingdom 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿. Billericay Park is named after the sister city.