Utica

History

From 1794 to 1825, Utica served as a key ferry crossing of the Ohio River. Its location provided a safer alternative to the river crossings at Jeffersonville, where the nearby Falls of the Ohio presented navigational hazards. James Noble Wood was the first ferryman and founder of Utica. In 1801 he was appointed by Governor W. H. Harrison as one of the justices of the court of general quarter of Clarke of the Territory of Indiana at Springville, Indiana. In 1997, the town experienced significant flooding. In response, local officials strengthened building, planning and zoning regulations as a condition of receiving federal and state disaster-recovery assistance. In the years following settlement, Utica became a starting point for several interior roads leading into southern Indiana. Among the earliest was the Utica and Salem Road, opened about 1820 and running northwest through New Providence and the uplands toward Salem in Washington County. Portions of the route followed older traces used as early as 1810 between Blue Lick and Flowers Gap, providing one of the first reliable passages across the Knobstone Ridge. Other early roads connected Utica to Madison in Jefferson County and to the early seat of Scott County, forming the nucleus of Clark County's overland travel network.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Utica has a total area of , of which (or 87.71%) is land and (or 12.29%) is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  33,078
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  30,982
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  25,112
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  23,665
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  22,804
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  21,835
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  21,533
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  21,440

Largest nearby schools

• Indiana Gateway Digital Academy
  Other · Clarksville · 2,617 students · 30.8:1 ratio
• Jeffersonville High School
  High · Jeffersonville · 2,130 students · 17.8:1 ratio
• Silver Creek High School
  High · Sellersburg · 935 students · 17:1 ratio
• Silver Creek Elementary School
  Elementary · Sellersburg · 899 students · 18.7:1 ratio
• River Valley Middle School
  Middle · Jeffersonville · 850 students · 14.4:1 ratio
• Charlestown Senior High School
  High · Charlestown · 788 students · 16.4:1 ratio
• Silver Creek Middle School
  Middle · Sellersburg · 760 students · 17.7:1 ratio
• Parkview Middle School
  Middle · Jeffersonville · 713 students · 14.6:1 ratio