Steuben County, Indiana (Angola, Indiana)

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www.co.steuben.in.us/

Steuben County was named after Baron Frederick von Steuben, a soldier who served under King Frederick of Prussia.

The county, which originally was part of LaGrange County to the west, was settled in 1834 in what is now the town of Orland. The town was established as the "Vermont Settlement" because many of the first settlers were from the state of Vermont. Before Orland was settled, the area was a hunting ground for the Potawatomi Indians. The early homes were made of logs and were approximately 14 feet by 14 feet. The living, sleeping and eating quarters were all in one room. All the cooking was done over a log fire.

Angola was platted in 1838 and became the county seat. The town was named after Angola, New York, where many of Angola's first residents came from.

Other locales were settled, including Ashley, Flint, Fremont, Hamilton, Helmer, Hudson, Metz, Nevada Mills, Pleasant Lake, Ray and Salem Center.

Steuben County was a stop on the Underground Railroad during the Civil War (1861-1865.) Many homes in the Orland area were used to hide slaves escaping to Canada.

Another county connection to the Civil War is the Soldier's Monument in downtown Angola. It was built in 1917 at the former site of the town water pump. The monument lists the names of the 1,278 Steuben County men who fought in the war. Per capita, more men from Steuben County enlisted for the war than any other county in Indiana. (The monument underwent a renovation in 1993 and was re-dedicated during Fourth of July ceremonies.)

Other county buildings were constructed, including the Steuben County Courthouse in 1868. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places, along with the former county jail and Powers Church in rural Angola.

Classes began at Tri-State Normal College in 1884. Its name was later changed to Tri-State University. The Angola university is world-renowned for its engineering programs and in its early days, the college trained thousands of teachers.

The 1900's

In the early 1900's, the county quickly was becoming well- known for its 101 lakes. The lakes remain one of Steuben County's most popular attractions. Lake James is the state's third largest lake.

As interest in this recreational area increased, the Department of Conservation purchased 600 acres along Lake James and Snow Lake and created Pokagon State Park. (They eventually purchased an additional 600 acres, bringing the total acreage to 1,203.)

The park was named after Chief Simon Pokagon, who at one time gave a lecture on the Steuben County Courthouse lawn. Potawatomi Inn was named after the tribe of Indians Chief Pokagon led. Simon Pokagon's father had sold one million acres of land to the government, including the present site of Chicago. (Today, Pokagon is one of the most popular parks in the state. The toboggan is the only one of its kind in the tri-state area and one of only three in the country. Each season, an average of 77,000 riders take a turn on the toboggan.)

The county's growth continued with the construction of Interstate 80/90 (the Indiana Toll Road) and Interstate 69. Each year, more than 36 million passenger vehicles travel the toll road.

Other popular attractions you may be familiar with include the Prime Outlet Mall, which was the first outlet mall built in Indiana, and Fun Spot Amusement Park, which draws approximately 150,000 guests each year.

Today, Steuben County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state, with the latest census indicating 30,000 residents. According to Money magazine, Angola and Pleasant Township ranked 19th in growth in the U.S. among communities that had at least a median income of $27,737 and a population of less than 50,000.

The Steuben County Tourism Bureau is the marketing arm for the county. One of the many ways the bureau promotes the county is by purchasing advertisements in publications such as Woman's Day, Midwest Living, the Chicago Tribune and USA Today. More than 3,300 people call our toll free (800) LAKE-101 phone number each year to request information on Steuben County.