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is a city in Indiana and the county seat of, Kosciusko County, Indiana, United States. The population was estimated at 13,082 in 2006. The Warsaw area is among the fastest growing areas in Indiana.
Cradled among Winona Lake, Pike Lake, Hidden Lake and Center Lake, Warsaw is nicknamed "
," though other cities in the surrounding area are also referred to by that nickname.
Warsaw, named for the capital of Poland in tribute to Thaddeus Kosciusko, was platted on October 21, 1836. Early Warsaw contained traders, trappers, and merchants supplying manufactured goods to area farmers. Because of the central location in the lake region, tourists soon began visiting Warsaw and eventually made permanent residences in the city, with industry soon following.
In March 1854, Warsaw became a town, and the initial census on February 2, 1854 showed a total of 752 residents in the town limits. The Pennsylvania Railroad (then known as the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne, and Chicago Railroad) reached Warsaw in November 1854. The Big 4 Railroad (Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St Louis) arrived in Warsaw in August 1870.
Gas lights were installed in August 1880. Telephone lines were strung in 1882, with Dr. Eggleston having the first phone. The waterworks were constructed in 1885. Gas was supplemented with electricity in 1897, but gas was still used in many homes until 1915.
In 1895, Revra DuPuy founded DePuy Manufacturing in Warsaw to make wire mesh and wooden splints, becoming the world's first manufacturer of orthopedic appliances. In 1905, DePuy hired Justin Zimmer as a splint salesman. Zimmer broke away from DePuy in 1927 to start his own orthopedic company. Warsaw is now known as the "orthopedic capital of the world."