Nappanee, Indiana
| City of Nappanee | |
|---|---|
| City | |
Downtown Nappanee.
|
|
 Location in the state of Indiana |
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| Coordinates: 41°26′39″N 85°59′58″W / 41.44417°N 85.99944°WCoordinates: 41°26′39″N 85°59′58″W / 41.44417°N 85.99944°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| Counties | Elkhart, Kosciusko |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Phil Jenkins (R) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.15 sq mi (10.75 km2) |
| • Land | 4.15 sq mi (10.75 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 869 ft (265 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 6,648 |
| • Estimate (2012) | 6,681 |
| • Density | 1,601.9/sq mi (618.5/km2) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 46550 |
| Area code(s) | 574 |
| FIPS code | 18-52020 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0439936 |
| Website | http://www.nappanee.org/ |
Nappanee is a city in Elkhart and Kosciusko counties in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 6,648 at the 2010 census. The name Nappanee probably means "flour." Nappanee holds the distinction of having the longest city name in the United States containing each letter in its name twice. The town has several tourist attractions: Amish Acres, Nappanee Raceway, The Arts & Crafts Festival, and the Apple Festival.
A tornado touched down in Nappanee around 10:30 pm on 18 October 2007, injuring at least five people and damaging 200 to 250 buildings, half of them severely. The tornado was classified as an EF3. The damage included three recreational vehicles factories that are among the community's largest employers: Fairmont Homes, Franklin Coach, and Gulf Stream Coach.
Nappanee was originally sought after because of its fertile farmland because of the headwaters of the Wabash River in northern Indiana. It is the southern gateway to the Northern Indiana Amish Country. Before the 1800s, Nappanee was inhabited by the Miami and Pottawatomi Indians. The first white settlers came to the area In 1830. By 1870, seven farms had been established and a population of forty people were settled in Nappanee. Nappanee grew tremendously after the construction of the B&O Railroad in 1874. Farmers sold land to the Railroad so that its tracks would run right next to Nappanee on its route to Chicago. The railroad brought more settlers to Nappanee, and the B&O officially gave Nappanee its name. The families who settled in Nappanee were largely religious and conservative. Over time the B&O Railroad became CSX. Nappanee is still surrounded by family farms of Anabaptists, including Amish, Mennonite, and the (Schwarzenau) Brethren.
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