GIS in Prevention, County Profiles, Series 3 (2006) 3. Geographic and Historical Notes 1 GIS in Prevention County Profiles Series, No. 3 Rush County, Indiana Barbara Seitz de Martinez, PhD, MLS, CPP The Indiana Prevention Resource Center at Indiana University is funded, in part, by a contract with the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, financially supported through HHS/Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant. The IPRC is operated by the Department of Applied Health Science and The School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. THE INDIANA PREVENTION RESOURCE CENTER

GIS in Prevention, County Profiles, Series 3 (2006) 3. Geographic and Historical Notes GIS in Prevention County Profile Series, No. 3 Rush County, Indiana Barbara Seitz de Martinez, PhD, MLS, CPP Project Staff: Indiana Prevention Resource Center Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors, and not necessarily those of the Trustees of Indiana University or the Division of Mental Health and Addiction. Indiana University accepts full Responsibility for the content of this publication. ©2005 The Trustees of Indiana University. Permission is extended to reproduce this County Profile for non-profit educational purposes. All other rights reserved. Ritika Bhawal, MPH Solomon Briggs Kyoungsun Heo, MPA Srinivasa Konchada

GIS in Prevention, County Profiles, Series 3 (2006) 3. Geographic and Historical Notes Sources: Map from PCensus for MapInfo; Geographic Notes from Indiana Facts: Flying the Colors by John Clements, Rush County is located in East Central Indiana. It is bordered by the counties of Henry to the north and northeast, Fayette to the east, Franklin to the southeast, and Decatur to the south. U.S. Highway 52 and State Highways 3 and 44 cross the county. Elevation is 900 to 1,050 feet. The landscape in the eastern half is mostly steeply sloped; elsewhere it is nearly flat except slightly sloped along waterways. The landscape features cottonwood, ash, elm, maple, birch and beech trees. The county pertains to the Indiana and Ohio Till Plain land resource area. Rush county is in the Eastern Time Zone and observes DST. Average daily temperatures are 16٥/34٥ in January and 62٥/84٥ in July. Annual precipitation is 40 and snowfall about inches. The first freeze occurs October in the northeast and October in the southwest. The last freeze occurs April 25-30, except a little later in the far northeast, May 1-5. The growing season lasts about days. Agricultural activity is mainly in corn for grain, soybeans, and hogs/pigs. Additional crops are hay and winter wheat. Livestock include cattle/calves, milk cows, and hogs/pigs. Tobacco is a special crop. Almost nine-tenths of the land is in farms and four-fifths of that is in cash crops. Important natural resources include crushed stone, dimension limestone, petroleum and forestland. Water resources include the Upper Big Blue Lakes Nos. 2 and 3; the Big Blue, Little Blue, Flatrock and Little Flatrock Rivers; and several streams (the Shankatank, Sawnee, and Deer Creeks, and the Wikoff Ditch). Communities include the city of Rushville, which is the county seat; and the towns of Carthage and Glenwood (which extends into Fayette County). 3. Geographic and Historical Notes

GIS in Prevention, County Profiles, Series 3 (2006) 3. Geographic and Historical Notes Rush County The maps and tables in this publication were prepared using PCensus 7.06 for MapInfo and MapInfo Professional 7.0.

GIS in Prevention, County Profiles, Series 3 (2006) 3. Geographic and Historical Notes Rush County Tobacco Production & Revenue: Source: the Strategic Development Group’s “Alternative Agricultural Strategy” (Bloomington, March 15, 2001) report, which is part of Governor Joseph E. Kernan’s “Recipient Final Reports for Office of the Commissioner of Agriculture Grant Programs” ( According to the most recent data available, Rush County ranks 24 th in the State for the percent of all farms that produce tobacco (0.9%). As of 1997, a total of 16 acres in Rush County were devoted to tobacco production on 6 farms. For those 6 farms, tobacco income per farm ($8,593) expressed as a percentage of the Average Household Income for the county ($35,434) was 24.3% in Latest figures (from 1997 USDA Census): Rank for acres in tobacco production: 22 nd Acres in tobacco production: 16 Number of farms producing tobacco: 6 As a Percent of all farms: 0.9% Rank in IN for percent of all farms: 24 th Tobacco income per farm producing: $8,593 Percent of County’s Ave. Household Income: 24.3% [See appendices for more information.] 3. Location and Historical Notes

GIS in Prevention, County Profiles, Series 3 (2006) 3. Geographic and Historical Notes Don’t Know Your Block Group Number? You can find it easily at the American Factfinder Web SiteAmerican Factfinder Web Site ( 3. Rush County Block Group Maps

GIS in Prevention, County Profiles, Series 3 (2006) 3. Geographic and Historical Notes Rush County Block Groups