Goshen

Sister cities

• Bexbach

History

Before the arrival of white colonists, the land that is today Goshen, Indiana, had been populated by Native Americans, specifically the Miami people, the Peoria people, and Potawatomi peoples, for thousands of years. In 1830, the US Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, requiring all indigenous people to relocate west of the Mississippi River. Goshen was platted in 1831. It was named after the Land of Goshen. The initial settlers consisted entirely of old stock "Yankee" immigrants, who were descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the 1600s. The Yankee migration to Indiana was a result of several factors, one of which was the overpopulation of New England. The old-stock Yankee population had large families, often bearing up to ten children in one household. Most people were expected to have their own piece of land to farm, and due to the massive and nonstop population boom, land in New England became scarce as every son claimed his own farmstead. As a result, there was not enough land for every family to have a self-sustaining farm, and Yankee settlers began leaving New England for the Midwestern United States. They were aided in this effort by the construction and completion of the Erie Canal which made traveling to the region much easier, causing an additional surge in migrants coming from New England. Added to this was the end of the Black Hawk War, which made the region much safer for white settlers to travel through and settle in. However, the Black Hawk War also forced the native people who called Goshen home for so long to leave. The 1833 Treaty of Chicago ultimately set the conditions that would force the Potawatomi in particular to leave the Midwest, Goshen included, in 1837. This forced exile is known today as the Potawatomi Trail…

Geography

Goshen is located at . The Elkhart River winds its way through the city and through a dam on the south side making the Goshen Dam Pond. Rock Run Creek also runs through town. The city is divided east–west by Main Street and north–south by Lincoln Avenue. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. In February 2018, the Elkhart River flooded as a result of heavy rain and snowmelt. The river rose to a record 13.2 feet, damaging more than 300 structures and prompting evacuations. City government has responded to the increase in severe weather such as flooding, hail, and heavy rains with measures including stormwater management, and "an initiative to grow the town's tree canopy by 45%". Goshen completed 92 solar projects and produced 116 watts of solar power per capita in 2019.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Goshen High School
  High · Goshen · 2,004 students · 18.7:1 ratio
• Concord Community High School
  High · Elkhart · 1,785 students · 17.3:1 ratio
• Northridge High School
  High · Middlebury · 1,390 students · 19:1 ratio
• Goshen Junior High School
  Middle · Goshen · 1,001 students · 16.4:1 ratio
• Northridge Middle School
  Middle · Middlebury · 976 students · 16:1 ratio
• Goshen Intermediate School
  Middle · Goshen · 933 students · 15.8:1 ratio
• Fairfield Jr-Sr High School
  High · Goshen · 861 students · 16.2:1 ratio
• Concord Junior High School
  Middle · Elkhart · 841 students · 16.2:1 ratio