1. GIS in Prevention, County Profiles, Series 4 (2007) 3. Geographic and Historical Notes 1 Indiana Prevention Resource Center GIS in Prevention County Profiles Series, No. 4 Grant County, Indiana Barbara Seitz de Martinez, PhD, MLS, CPP, Project Director 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.

2. GIS in Prevention, County Profiles, Series 4 (2007) 3. Geographic and Historical Notes GIS in Prevention County Profile Series, No. 4 Grant County, Indiana Barbara Seitz de Martinez, PhD, MLS, CPP Project Director 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 Ryan Chopra, MPH Kyoungsun Heo, MPA Tuba M. Pervin Altay, MPH

3. GIS in Prevention, County Profiles, Series 4 (2007) 3. Geographic and Historical Notes Grant County Map The maps and tables in this publication were prepared using PCensus for MapInfo and MapInfo Professional.

4. GIS in Prevention, County Profiles, Series 4 (2007) 3. Geographic and Historical Notes Grant County is located in North Central Indiana. It is bordered by the following counties: Delaware to the south/southeast, Madison to the south, Tipton to the southwest, Howard to the west, Miami to the northwest, Wabash and Huntington to the north. Interstate Highway 69, U.S. Highway 35 and State Highway 18 cross the county. Elevation is 750-950 feet. Terrain is nearly level, except slightly sloping near the many creeks and the Mississinewa River. The landscape features beech, birch, maple, oak and hickory trees. The county pertains to the Indiana and Ohio Till Plain land resource area. Central Mississippi Valley Wooded Slopes land resource area, except the southern corner which is part of the Kentucky and Indiana Sandstone and Shale Hills and Valleys land resource area. Grant county is in the Eastern Time Zone and observes DST. Average daily temperatures are 16٥/33٥ in January and 61٥/85٥ in July. Annual precipitation is about 37 and snowfall about 37 inches. Typically the first freeze of the season occurs October 10-15, except in the northeast corner where it is October 5-10. The last freeze is usually between May 1 – 5. The growing season lasts about 158-168 days. Agricultural activity is diversified. About three-fourths of the land is farmland of which over four-fifths is commercial crops. Main crops are corn for grain, soybeans, hay and winter wheat. Apples are a primary fruit, tomatoes a primary vegetable. Livestock includes hens/pullets, cattle/calves, milk cows, and hogs/pigs. Main natural resources include sand and gravel for both construction and industry, crushed stone, petroleum, and forestland. Water resources include Edwin Blinn, Kilgore, Sports, and Wagner Lakes; Lake Galacia; and the Mississinewa River. Communities include the cities of Marion (the county seat) and Gas City. Towns include Converse (which extends into Miami County), Fairmount, Fowlerton, Jonesboro, Matthews, Swayzee, Sweetser, Upland, and Van Buren. 3. Geographic and Historical Notes Sources: Map from PCensus for MapInfo; Geographic Notes from Indiana Facts: Flying the Colors by John Clements, 1995.

5. GIS in Prevention, County Profiles, Series 4 (2007) 3. Geographic and Historical Notes Grant County The maps and tables in this publication were prepared using PCensus 7.06 for MapInfo and MapInfo Professional 7.0.

6. GIS in Prevention, County Profiles, Series 4 (2007) 3. Geographic and Historical Notes Famous sons and daughters of Grant County include movie star James Dean, Jim Davis, and Wayne and Kim Seybold. James Dean (1931-1951), born in Marion, who starred in East of Eden (1954), Rebel Without a Cause (1955), and Giant (1956). Cartoonist Jim Davis (1945-), createds “Garfield.” Davis’ company is located on a farm near Muncie. Wayne and Kim Seybold were Olympic figure skaters from Marion, who became internationally known in the 1988 Winter Olympics for their courage in overcoming injuries and poverty. (Nelson Price, Indiana Legends, Carmel: Guild Press of Indiana, Inc., 1997, p. 135, 247, 264) Grant County is not a tobacco-producing county, according to 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” (http://www.in.gov/oca/grants/valueadd/VAFinalReports.html):http://www.in.gov/oca/grants/valueadd/VAFinalReports.html 3. Location and Historical Notes

7. GIS in Prevention, County Profiles, Series 4 (2007) 3. Geographic and Historical Notes Don’t Know Your Block Group Number? You can find it easily at the American Factfinder Web Site (www.census.gov) 3. Grant County Block Group Maps

8. GIS in Prevention, County Profiles, Series 4 (2007) 3. Geographic and Historical Notes Grant County Block Groups