Avoca

History

Avoca was platted in 1819. The community likely took its name after the River Avoca, which was mentioned in a poem by Thomas Moore. The Avoca post office was established in 1856.

Geography

Avoca is located in northwestern Lawrence County in the southwest corner of Marshall Township. Indiana State Road 37 runs along the eastern edge of the community, leading north to Bloomington and south to Bedford, the Lawrence county seat. State Road 58 passes through the center of Avoca, joining SR 37 southbound but leading west to Owensburg. State Road 54 has its eastern terminus at SR 37 and leads northwest to Bloomfield. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Avoca census-designated place has an area of , all of it recorded as land. The community is in the valley of Goose Creek, which flows southeast to Salt Creek, part of the White River watershed. The Avoca State Fish Hatchery was built in 1819 and first served as a grist mill until 1919, when it was purchased by the DNR, who began building ponds in 1923. The Hatchery stocked Indiana's waters with fish for years until it was decommissioned by the DNR in 2013 and fell into disrepair. Bedford Mayor Shawna Girgis asked Bedford Park Director, Barry Jeskewich, to restore this historical location for Lawrence County. Barry Jeskewich partnered with James Farmer, Indiana University Sustaining Hoosier Communities to obtained a grant to preserve this beloved green space for the surrounding community. Avoca State Fish Hatchery was renamed Avoca Park and Recreation and is now in the hands of the local community.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,489
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,163
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  3,999
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,685
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  3,652
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,426
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  3,199
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,895

Most recent

• M 3.1 — 2012-05-10
  0 km NW of Emison, Indiana
• M 2.7 — 2012-05-10
  1 km NNW of Emison, Indiana
• M 2.5 — 2007-11-28
  5 km S of Hutsonville, Illinois