Owen

Formed December 21, 1818 (30^th county)

Owen County (21,326), Spencer (2,448)

The Neo-Classical type masonry courthouse is modified with a dome and was built in 1911.  It is situated on Main, Franklin, Washington, and Market streets.  United States Highway 231 is two blocks west of the site.  Jesse Townsend Johnson provided the designs.  The grounds feature veteran memorials.  There was an 1824 courthouse also in Spencer.  Lancaster was the first county seat until 1820 Spencer replaced it.  The county was established on December 21, 1818 from parts of Daviess and Sullivan counties as the 30^th county.  It is named for Battle of Tippecanoe hero Abraham Owen.  The county seat is also named for a Battle of Tippecanoe hero Spier Spencer.  He is also the namesake of Spencer County. 

Owen County government consists of a sheriff, 3 Commissioners, and 7 Council Members.  Two Circuit Court Judges serve Owen County.  The county is in southwest Indiana to the southwest of Indianapolis, Indiana and to the southeast of Terre Haute, Indiana.  The White River flows through the middle of the county.  The county center is 7.7 miles Northwest of Spencer.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Putnam, Morgan, Monroe, Greene, and Clay counties.  

The area of the county is 385 square miles.  It is 53 out of 92 in the state.   It ranks 68 out of 92 in population in the state.  It has a density of 55.4 persons per square mile making it 70 out of 92 in the state.  Owen County has 15.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 231 crosses the county north to southwest from Putnam County to Greene County.  The county looks like a small letter s.  Spencer is located in the southeast quarter of the county.  Spencer is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 11.5% of the county population.  This county is in the Bloomington Metropolitan Statistical Area.