Metamora, Indiana

Coordinates: 39°26′45″N 85°07′44″W / 39.44583°N 85.12889°W / 39.44583; -85.12889
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Metamora, Indiana
Metamora, with railroad and canal in the foreground
Metamora, with railroad and canal in the foreground
Location of Metamora in Franklin County, Indiana.
Location of Metamora in Franklin County, Indiana.
Metamora is located in Indiana
Metamora
Metamora
Coordinates: 39°26′45″N 85°07′44″W / 39.44583°N 85.12889°W / 39.44583; -85.12889
CountryUnited States
StateIndiana
CountyFranklin
TownshipMetamora
Area
 • Total0.34 sq mi (0.87 km2)
 • Land0.34 sq mi (0.87 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation715 ft (218 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total207
 • Density616.07/sq mi (238.01/km2)
ZIP code
47030
FIPS code18-48563[3]
GNIS feature ID2587022[2]

Metamora is an unincorporated town and census-designated place in Metamora Township, Franklin County, Indiana. The town was once a stop along the Whitewater Canal and is now primarily dependent on tourism. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 188.[4]

History[edit]

Whitewater Canal at Metamora, Indiana, c1982 (Photo by William Gulde)

Metamora was platted in 1838.[5] The community derives its name from the play Metamora; or, The Last of the Wampanoags by John Augustus Stone.[6]

The Whitewater Canal only carried boats from 1839 to 1865, but the canal was maintained to supply hydraulic power until 1936. The canal was the center of industrial districts in Metamora and Brookville, 8 miles (13 km) to the east. At one time there were water-powered mills for processing cotton, grinding flour and making paper. Metamora is the location of Indiana's oldest and still operating grist mill. Metamora is also home to the only existing wooden aqueduct in the United States (the Duck Creek Aqueduct),[7] with a historical review of the canal history which fueled the southeastern Indiana economy until its displacement by the railroad. The canal is named after the nearby Whitewater River.

The Metamora Historic District and Whitewater Canal Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[8]

Geography[edit]

Photo from Small Town Indiana photo survey.

Metamora is located in the valley of the Whitewater River in southeastern Indiana. It is situated on U.S. Route 52, 37 miles (60 km) northwest of Cincinnati, Ohio, and 59 miles (95 km) southeast of Indianapolis.[9]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 0.35 square miles (0.9 km2), all land.[10]

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
2020207
U.S. Decennial Census[11]

Notable person[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Metamora, Indiana
  3. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Metamora CDP, Indiana". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
  5. ^ Reifel, August Jacob (1915). History of Franklin County, Indiana. Windmill Publications. pp. 189.
  6. ^ "Metamora". Franklin County Historical Society. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  7. ^ Hunter, David (October 1, 2003). Shifra Stein's Day Trips from Cincinnati: Getaways Less Than Two Hours Away. Globe Pequot. p. 7. ISBN 9780762727490. Retrieved April 26, 2013.
  8. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  9. ^ "Distance between Metamora, IN, and Indianapolis, IN". Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  10. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Metamora CDP, Indiana". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
  11. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.

External links[edit]