Plainfield, Indiana

Plainfield
Plainfield Town Center - Main Street - US Highway 40
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Location in Indiana
Plainfield
Basic data
Foundation :	1839
State :	United States
State :	Indiana
County :	Hendricks County
Coordinates :	39 ° 42 ′  N , 86 ° 23 ′  W Coordinates: 39 ° 42 ′  N , 86 ° 23 ′  W
Time zone :	Eastern ( UTC − 5 / −4 )
Residents :	27,631 (as of 2010)
Population density :	592.9 inhabitants per km 2
Area :	46.7 km 2  (approx. 18 mi 2 ) of which 46.6 km 2  (approx. 18 mi 2 ) is land
Height :	218 m
Postal code :	46168
Area code :	+1 317
FIPS :	18-60246
GNIS ID :	0441219
Website :	www.townofplainfield.com

Plainfield (Indiana) is a city with 32,865 inhabitants (2017) in Hendricks County of the US state Indiana .

location

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city covers an area of ​​46.7 km². Plainfield is on Interstate 70 , which runs from the US state of Utah to Baltimore, Maryland. It is also on historic US Highway 40 , known as one of the National Scenic Byways in the United States. Plainfield is approximately 25 kilometers from Indianapolis , the capital of India.

history

The area around Plainfield was once untamed wilderness along White Lick Creek and was colonized by the Delaware Indians . After an agreement was made with the Indians, European pioneers began to settle in the area. Plainfield is one of the first parishes to be settled in central Indiana at the beginning of the 19th century .

The Plainfield Friends Meeting House, a Quaker church

In 1822, Jeremiah Hadley bought some of the land that is now Plainfield. Ten years later, he sold his land to his son, Elias Hadley. In 1839 Levi Jessup and Elias Hadley founded the town of Plainfield.

Over the years Plainfield became more and more associated with the Quakers . They quickly shaped the existing community and founded their own parish. In 1858 they first built a house of prayer on Main Street. It was rebuilt after a fire. It is still in the same place today. Because of the great importance the Quakers had in the development of the city, the Quaker became the mascot of Plainfield High School.

The Van Buren elms

Plainfield has long been connected to the National Road, US Highway 40, which Plainfield is known as "Main Street". Plainfield hit national headlines in 1842 when President Martin Van Buren was deliberately thrown from his carriage onto Main Street. Van Buren had previously refused to improve the National Road, so the Plainfield residents had prepared the prank. The elms, whose roots had caused the fall of the presidential car, were henceforth known as the Van Buren elms, the Van Buren Elm.

In 1850 Hendricks County had 14,083 residents. The county developed a strong agriculture because of the nutrient-rich soil. Corn, wheat, oats, and soybeans were brought to and sold in Indianapolis and Cincinnati markets. In 1914, two-thirds of the population lived in the country and the farmers owned 90 percent of the county. As more and more people settled in Hendricks County, Plainfield, Danville and Brownsburg developed into economic centers. Plainfield grew steadily throughout the 20th century.

Population development

year	1980	1990	2000	2005	2010	2015
Residents	9,191	10,433	18,396	23,532	27,631	30,572

Born in Plainfield

• Forrest Tucker (1919–1986), actor
• William Temple Hornaday (1854–1937), hunter, taxidermist, and zoo director (born nearby)
• Del Harris (born 1937), basketball coach

Web links

Commons : Plainfield, Indiana  - Collection of pictures, videos, and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} American FactFinder - update of the US Census Bureau
2. ^ Historic National Road - Indiana
3. ↑ Vistor Information - Plainfield, Indiana ( Memento of the original on 24 February 2011 at the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link is automatically inserted and not yet tested. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
4. ^ Margaret Moore Post: Our Town Yesterday.
5. ^ John R. McDowell: The History of Hendricks County.
6. ↑ Town History - Town of Plainfield ( Memento of the original from June 9, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.