Steuben County

Before and After

Get to Know Steuben County

Steuben County is the home of 101 lakes, including Indiana’s third largest, Lake James. There are 16 public access sites throughout the county as well as a handful of paid sites. Pontoon, ski and fishing boats are available at some area marinas, while Pokagon State Park offers fishing, kayak, pontoon and paddleboat rentals during the summer. Steuben County has public beaches on the following lakes: Pleasant, Hamilton, Clear and Crooked, plus two at Pokagon State Park.

Pokagon State Park draws more than 750,000 people annually with its 1,260 acres of hiking and picnic areas plus an acclaimed nature center. The state’s only refrigerated toboggan run, open weekends the day after Thanksgiving through the end of February, offers a unique winter family-friendly adventure.

Steuben County was named after Baron Frederick von Steuben, a Prussian soldier who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. He eventually became George Washington’s chief of staff.

The county, which originally was part of LaGrange County to the west, was settled in 1834 in what is now the town of Orland. The town was established as the Vermont Settlement because many of the first settlers were from the state of Vermont. The settlers’ homes were made of logs. The living, sleeping and eating quarters were all in one room. All the cooking was done over a log fire. Before Orland was settled, the area was a hunting ground for the Potawatomi Indians. Angola was platted in 1838 and became the county seat. The town was named after Angola, New York, the source of many of Angola’s first residents. Other locales were settled, including Ashley, Flint, Fremont, Hamilton, Helmer, Hudson, Metz, Nevada Mills, Pleasant Lake, Ray and Salem Center.

Over the years, the general strength of Steuben County's ability to design and manufacture metal products, through cutting, forming, welding, machining, treating and coating, has created a substantial number of firms that specialize in this area. Some are job shops, well equipped to design and manufacture prototypes and small run metal products and components. Some have developed specific product lines, ranging from material handling equipment to point-of-purchase displays. 

According to the 2017 Census, Steuben County's population was 34,586 and Angola’s population was 8,655.

Additional Resources

• Visit Steuben County
• Steuben County Economic Development