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Today Munster boasts an excellent school system. All five Munster Public Schools are recognized Indiana Blue Ribbon schools and have been awarded five star ratings. Munster is home to the Community Hospital, The Centre for Visual and Performing Arts, The Northwest Indiana Times Newspaper, [[Pepsi Cola]] Inc. Lake Co., high class residential real estate, and a high quality of life that bolsters the town's reputation as one of the most desirable communities in southern [[Chicagoland]]. |
Today Munster boasts an excellent school system. All five Munster Public Schools are recognized Indiana Blue Ribbon schools and have been awarded five star ratings. Munster is home to the Community Hospital, The Centre for Visual and Performing Arts, The Northwest Indiana Times Newspaper, [[Pepsi Cola]] Inc. Lake Co., high class residential real estate, and a high quality of life that bolsters the town's reputation as one of the most desirable communities in southern [[Chicagoland]]. |
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Munster is known in the [[Calumet Region]] for the smell from the Munster dump. |
Munster is known in the [[Calumet Region]] for the smell from the Munster dump. Munster smells like a giant [[fart]]. |
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== Geography == |
== Geography == |
Revision as of 05:08, 2 January 2006
Munster is a town located in Lake County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 21,511.
History
Munster, Indiana is known as "The Town Along the Ridge."
Munster is located at a point of the ancient shores of Lake Michigan which is today Ridge Road.
The earliest known inhabitants of the area were the Potawatomi. Although a village did not exist in what was to become Munster Town boundaries, a trail along the dry sandy ridge now known as Ridge Road was well traveled by the tribe. Downtown Munster, the town hall, police and fire departments, Munster's Centre for the Visual and Performing Arts, the Munster 46321 post office, and the first and only "Munster General Store" are located on Ridge Road.
In the late 1600's and early 1700's what is today Munster was part of a French territory. In the 1760's the British claimed the land where the Potawatomi lived part of the British Empire. Twenty years later George Rogers Clark overran the British claiming the land for the new and Independent country known as the United States of America. In 1828 the American Government relocated the Potawatomi Indians the Oklahoma territory.
As the Indians began to dwindle pioneer settlers began to inhabit the area which would become Munster. Munster was a farming town and notable for railroads and the well traveled Rideg Road.
Munster, Indiana was referred to as Strathmore on early railroad maps as workers would tirelessly tie "one strath more."
When a young man from the Netherlands by the name of Jacob Munster opened Munster's General Store, complete with a U.S. Postal "station" on the back. The local farmers and settelers would use the postal station and it soon became a United States Post Office which had the name not of Strathmore Post Office, but the Munster Post Office because it was located in Jacob Munster's General store.
Before long more and more people moved to the "Munster" Area, and in 1907 Munster was incorporated a Town with 76 residents voting "yes" for the incorporation and 28 voting "no."
Munster soon became a booming town that attracted many peoople. Munster saw difficult times through the rough years of the Great Depression and the World Wars like many other new towns in America.
Today Munster boasts an excellent school system. All five Munster Public Schools are recognized Indiana Blue Ribbon schools and have been awarded five star ratings. Munster is home to the Community Hospital, The Centre for Visual and Performing Arts, The Northwest Indiana Times Newspaper, Pepsi Cola Inc. Lake Co., high class residential real estate, and a high quality of life that bolsters the town's reputation as one of the most desirable communities in southern Chicagoland.
Munster is known in the Calumet Region for the smell from the Munster dump. Munster smells like a giant fart.
Geography
Munster is located at 41°33'5" North, 87°30'5" West (41.551457, -87.501431)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 19.7 km² (7.6 mi²). 19.5 km² (7.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.66% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 21,511 people, 8,091 households, and 6,141 families residing in the town. The population density is 1,101.5/km² (2,852.8/mi²). There are 8,339 housing units at an average density of 427.0/km² (1,105.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 92.28% White, 1.03% African American, 0.06% Native American, 4.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.10% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. 4.88% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 8,091 households out of which 33.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.5% are married couples living together, 8.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 24.1% are non-families. 21.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.62 and the average family size is 3.07.
In the town the population is spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 43 years. For every 100 females there are 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $63,243, and the median income for a family is $74,255. Males have a median income of $53,387 versus $34,490 for females. The per capita income for the town is $30,952. 4.3% of the population and 2.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 5.2% of those under the age of 18 and 2.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Munster is also famous for Munster High School, widely regarded academically as one of the best public schools in the state. The Munster High Speech and Debate team was the 2004-2005 Speech and Debate Indiana State Champions. Also, the Wilbur Wright Middle School Science Olympiad team consistently places well in the Regional and State level.