City of Loogootee
Location in the state of Indiana
Coordinates: 38°40′35″N 86°54′53″W / 38.67639, -86.91472
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Martin
Government
- Mayor	Donald F. Bowling (D)
Area
- Total	1.6 sq mi (4.1 km²)
- Land	0 sq mi (0 km²)
- Water	0 sq mi (0 km²)  0%
Elevation	538 ft (164 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	2,741
- Density	1,750.5/sq mi (674.1/km²)
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	47553
Area code(s)	812
FIPS code	18-44910[1]
GNIS feature ID	0438296[2]

Loogootee is a city in Martin County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,741 at the 2000 census.

Pronunciation and etymology

Hoosiers from the area pronounce the name of this town /ˈla�ɡotea�/ . Several etymologies of the place name have been proposed. One would make it an Anglicization of the French name Le Gaultier. [1] Another would make it a compound word honoring Thomas Lowe, engineer of the first train through the town; and Thomas Gootee, owner of the land where the town was built. [2]

Geography

Loogootee is located at 38°40′35″N, 86°54′53″W (38.676518, -86.914794)^[3].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), none of which is covered by water.

Located on the intersection of Highways U.S. Route 231 and U.S. Route 50, Loogootee has been called the “Crossroads of America� as both of these U.S. highways travel the width and height of the United States. A plaque located in Loogootee’s downtown square marks the title of “Crossroads of America�.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 2,741 people, 1,226 households, and 712 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,750.5 people per square mile (674.1/km²). There were 1,337 housing units at an average density of 853.8/sq mi (328.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 99.05% White, 0.04% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.04% from other races, and 0.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.40% of the population.

There were 1,226 households out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,492, and the median income for a family was $37,625. Males had a median income of $30,660 versus $21,490 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,321. About 13.1% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.2% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.

As of March 2008, the Mayor of Loogootee is Donald F. Bowling.

Schools and Sports

Loogootee has three schools in their district. Loogootee Elementary West (K-3), Elementary East (4-6), and Loogootee Jr./Sr. High School. The mascot is a lion. The school colors are black and old gold. The school song is "Washington and Lee Swing". Loogootee has a long standing, proud tradition of high school basketball. It is the home of the winningest high school basketball coach in state history, Jack Butcher, who has over 800 wins. Their boys tennis program also has gained notoriety after winning their eleventh straight sectional title under the guidance of Coach Rick Graves. The school is also known for its intense rivalry with Montgomery, Indiana's Barr-Reeve Vikings. The Lions are the current champions in regards to the rivalry, however, as they have a .750 winning percentage over the Vikings and also have won 28 basketball sectionals compared to only 9 from Barr-Reeve. BR bolws They were also 2007 sectional champs.

In Film

Loogootee was briefly mentioned in the film Hoosiers, in the form of a credited referee. The town's name was misspelled, however, in the end credits. Loogootee also appears in a companion book for the film, which contains the fictitious Hickory Husker's schedule and who they played that year.

References

External links

• Loogootee, Indiana is at coordinates 38°40′36″N 86°54′53″W / 38.676518, -86.914794 (Loogootee, Indiana)Coordinates: 38°40′36″N 86°54′53″W / 38.676518, -86.914794 (Loogootee, Indiana)

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