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Ashtabula County, Ohio
Ashtabula County Courthouse, new building
Ashtabula County Courthouse
Seal of Ashtabula County, Ohio
Seal
Map of Ohio highlighting Ashtabula County
Location in the state of Ohio
Map of the U.S
Ohio's location in the U.S.
Founded May 1, 1811
Named for Lenape ashtepihële 'always enough fish to go around'
Seat Jefferson
Largest city Ashtabula
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

1,368 sq mi (3,543 km²)
702 sq mi (1,818 km²)
666 sq mi (1,725 km²), 49%
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

97,574
auto/sq mi (Expression error: Unrecognized word "auto"./km²)
Congressional district 14th
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.co.ashtabula.oh.us

Ashtabula County ( /ˌæʃtəˈbjlə/ ASH-tə-BYU-lə) is the northeasternmost county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,574.[1] The county seat is Jefferson.[2] The county was created in 1808 and later organized in 1811.[3] The name[4] Ashtabula derives from the Lenape language phrase ashte-pihële, which translates to 'always enough (fish) to go around, to be given away'[5] and is a contraction of apchi ('always')[6] + tepi ('enough') + hële (verb of motion).[7]

Ashtabula County comprises the Ashtabula, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Cleveland–Akron–Canton, OH Combined Statistical Area.

The county is probably best known for having nineteen covered bridges within the county limits, including both the longest and the shortest covered bridges in the United States. Grapes are a popular crop and there are several award-winning wineries in the region owing to the favorable microclimate created by the nearby lake.[8] During the winter, Ashtabula County (along with neighboring Geauga and Lake Counties, as well as Crawford and Erie Counties in neighboring Pennsylvania) receives frequent lake-effect snow and is part of the Southeastern Lake Erie Snowbelt.

History[]

After Europeans arrived in the Americas, the land that became Ashtabula County was originally part of the French colony of Canada (New France), which was ceded in 1763 to Great Britain and renamed Province of Quebec. In the late 18th century, the land became part of the Connecticut Western Reserve in the Northwest Territory, then was purchased by the Connecticut Land Company in 1795. It was created from Geauga County and a small portion of northern Trumbull County.

Geography[]

Seal of Ashtabula County (Ohio) Auditor

Seal of the Ashtabula County Auditor

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,368 square miles (3,540 km2), of which 702 square miles (1,820 km2) is land and 666 square miles (1,720 km2) (49%) is water.[9] It is the largest county in Ohio by area.[10]

Adjacent counties[]

Across Lake Erie lie Elgin and Norfolk Counties, Ontario, Canada (north).

Major highways[]

  • I-90 I-90
  • US 6 US 6
  • US 20 US 20
  • US 322 US 322
  • [[Template:Infobox road/OH/link OH|Template:Infobox road/OH/abbrev OH]]
  • [[Template:Infobox road/OH/link OH|Template:Infobox road/OH/abbrev OH]]
  • [[Template:Infobox road/OH/link OH|Template:Infobox road/OH/abbrev OH]]
  • [[Template:Infobox road/OH/link OH|Template:Infobox road/OH/abbrev OH]]
  • [[Template:Infobox road/OH/link OH|Template:Infobox road/OH/abbrev OH]]
  • [[Template:Infobox road/OH/link OH|Template:Infobox road/OH/abbrev OH]]
  • [[Template:Infobox road/OH/link OH|Template:Infobox road/OH/abbrev OH]]
  • [[Template:Infobox road/OH/link OH|Template:Infobox road/OH/abbrev OH]]
  • [[Template:Infobox road/OH/link OH|Template:Infobox road/OH/abbrev OH]]
  • [[Template:Infobox road/OH/link OH|Template:Infobox road/OH/abbrev OH]]
  • [[Template:Infobox road/OH/link OH|Template:Infobox road/OH/abbrev OH]]
  • [[Template:Infobox road/OH/link OH|Template:Infobox road/OH/abbrev OH]]

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1820 7,382
1830 14,584 97.6%
1840 23,724 62.7%
1850 28,767 21.3%
1860 31,814 10.6%
1870 32,517 2.2%
1880 37,139 14.2%
1890 43,655 17.5%
1900 51,448 17.9%
1910 59,547 15.7%
1920 65,545 10.1%
1930 68,631 4.7%
1940 68,674 0.1%
1950 78,695 14.6%
1960 93,067 18.3%
1970 98,237 5.6%
1980 104,215 6.1%
1990 99,821 −4.2%
2000 102,728 2.9%
2010 101,497 −1.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
1790–1960[12] 1900–1990[13]
1990–2000[14] 2020 [15]

2000 census[]

As of the census[16] of 2000, there were 102,728 people, 39,397 households, and 27,774 families residing in the county. The population density was 146 people per square mile (56/km2). There were 43,792 housing units at an average density of 62 per square mile (24/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.07% White, 3.16% Black or African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.85% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. 2.23% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.3% were of German, 11.6% Italian, 10.6% English, 10.5% Irish, and 10.3% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 95.2% spoke English, 2.4% Spanish, and 0.8% German as their first language.[17]

There were 39,397 households, out of which 32.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.80% were married couples living together, 11.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.50% were non-families. 24.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.20% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $35,607, and the median income for a family was $42,449. Males had a median income of $33,105 versus $22,624 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,814. About 9.20% of families and 12.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.10% of those under age 18 and 8.60% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census[]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 101,497 people, 39,363 households, and 26,495 families residing in the county.[18] The population density was 144.6 inhabitants per square mile (55.8 /km2). There were 46,099 housing units at an average density of 65.7 per square mile (25.4 /km2).[19] The racial makeup of the county was 92.7% white, 3.5% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.1% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.4% of the population.[18] In terms of ancestry, 24.9% were German, 15.8% were Irish, 12.6% were English, 11.1% were Italian, 10.0% were American, and 5.8% were Polish.[20]

Of the 39,363 households, 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.7% were non-families, and 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.01. The median age was 41.0 years.[18]

The median income for a household in the county was $42,139 and the median income for a family was $50,227. Males had a median income of $40,879 versus $30,156 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,898. About 11.8% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.7% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.[21]

Politics[]

Ashtabula County voted for the Democratic candidate for president in every election between 1988 and 2012. In 2016, Donald Trump was the first Republican presidential candidate to carry the county since 1984. Trump captured the largest majority in the county since Richard Nixon in 1972. He expanded his margins to over 20 points in 2020. The county had one of the largest Obama-to-Trump swings in the nation.

United States presidential election results for Ashtabula County, Ohio[22]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 26,890 60.79% 16,497 37.29% 850 1.92%
2016 23,318 56.62% 15,577 37.83% 2,285 5.55%
2012 18,298 42.36% 23,803 55.10% 1,099 2.54%
2008 18,949 42.04% 25,027 55.52% 1,100 2.44%
2004 21,038 46.33% 24,060 52.99% 309 0.68%
2000 17,940 45.45% 19,831 50.24% 1,701 4.31%
1996 13,287 34.31% 19,341 49.95% 6,094 15.74%
1992 13,254 30.80% 18,843 43.79% 10,931 25.40%
1988 17,654 45.79% 20,536 53.26% 366 0.95%
1984 21,669 52.34% 19,344 46.73% 384 0.93%
1980 19,847 49.04% 17,363 42.91% 3,257 8.05%
1976 16,885 43.72% 20,883 54.07% 857 2.22%
1972 22,762 58.96% 15,052 38.99% 794 2.06%
1968 17,058 46.66% 16,738 45.79% 2,759 7.55%
1964 13,183 35.36% 24,104 64.64% 0 0.00%
1960 22,406 53.91% 19,155 46.09% 0 0.00%
1956 24,165 64.68% 13,195 35.32% 0 0.00%
1952 23,185 61.24% 14,676 38.76% 0 0.00%
1948 15,389 54.33% 12,560 44.34% 377 1.33%
1944 17,181 56.33% 13,319 43.67% 0 0.00%
1940 18,491 56.13% 14,454 43.87% 0 0.00%
1936 14,025 46.73% 14,468 48.21% 1,517 5.05%
1932 15,644 55.31% 11,386 40.26% 1,252 4.43%
1928 18,870 75.13% 5,951 23.69% 297 1.18%
1924 14,767 69.21% 2,135 10.01% 4,435 20.79%
1920 14,099 69.70% 5,413 26.76% 717 3.54%
1916 6,608 52.34% 5,306 42.02% 712 5.64%
1912 2,214 17.99% 3,181 25.84% 6,913 56.17%
1908 8,213 63.32% 3,572 27.54% 1,185 9.14%
1904 8,906 75.89% 1,647 14.03% 1,182 10.07%
1900 9,272 70.70% 3,438 26.21% 405 3.09%
1896 8,557 67.70% 3,840 30.38% 242 1.91%
1892 6,419 63.57% 2,769 27.42% 910 9.01%
1888 7,164 67.39% 2,675 25.16% 792 7.45%
1884 7,269 69.41% 2,643 25.24% 560 5.35%
1880 6,926 72.88% 2,286 24.06% 291 3.06%
1876 6,771 74.31% 2,294 25.18% 47 0.52%
1872 5,764 76.96% 1,678 22.40% 48 0.64%
1868 6,108 81.35% 1,400 18.65% 0 0.00%
1864 6,045 85.30% 1,042 14.70% 0 0.00%
1860 5,566 81.15% 860 12.54% 433 6.31%
1856 5,108 80.63% 975 15.39% 252 3.98%



Culture[]

Ashtabula County (along with neighboring Lake County) fostered a very large Finnish American community around the turn of the twentieth century, and as a result, the area is home to many Finnish Americans.

Ashtabula County has eighteen extant covered bridges. Of these, nine were constructed prior to 1900. See List of Ashtabula County covered bridges.

Communities[]

Map of Ashtabula County Ohio With Municipal and Township Labels

Map of Ashtabula County, Ohio with Municipal and Township Labels

Cities[]

  • Ashtabula
  • Conneaut
  • Geneva

Villages[]

  • Andover
  • Geneva-on-the-Lake
  • Jefferson (county seat)
  • North Kingsville
  • Orwell
  • Roaming Shores
  • Rock Creek

Townships[]

  • Andover
  • Ashtabula
  • Austinburg
  • Cherry Valley
  • Colebrook
  • Conneaut
  • Denmark
  • Dorset
  • Geneva
  • Harpersfield
  • Hartsgrove
  • Jefferson
  • Kingsville
  • Lenox
  • Monroe
  • Morgan
  • New Lyme
  • Orwell
  • Pierpont
  • Plymouth
  • Richmond
  • Rome
  • Saybrook
  • Sheffield
  • Trumbull
  • Wayne
  • Williamsfield
  • Windsor

Census-designated places[]

  • Austinburg
  • Edgewood
  • Kingsville
  • Saybrook-on-the-Lake

Other unincorporated communities[]

  • Dorset
  • Eagleville
  • Footville
  • Kelloggsville
  • Pierpont
  • Unionville
  • Williamsfield
  • Windsor

Notable people[]

  • Chester H. Aldrich (1862–1924), governor of Nebraska 1911-1913
  • Brian Anderson, Cleveland Indians pitcher, originally from Geneva
  • Charles Case (1817–1883), born in Austinburg, United States congressman from Indiana[23]
  • Tammy Cochran, country music singer from Austinburg; biggest hit was "Angels in Waiting"
  • Edwin Cowles (1825–1890), born in Austinburg, publisher of The Cleveland Leader, vice-president of the 1884 Republican National Convention[23]
  • Charles DeBarber, a cyber intelligence analyst on CBS's Hunted (2017 TV series)
  • Joshua Reed Giddings (1795–1864), member of the U.S. House of Representatives and prominent opponent of slavery
  • Rosetta Luce Gilchrist (1850-1921), physician, writer, president of the Ashtabula Equal Rights Club
  • Francis Joseph Hall, was an American Protestant Episcopal theologian and author.
  • Ken Meyer, head coach of the National Football League's San Francisco 49ers in 1977
  • Urban Meyer, head football coach at the University of Florida (2005-2010), head football coach at The Ohio State University (2012-2018), head coach of the National Football League's Jacksonville Jaguars (2021–present)
  • James Montgomery, (1814–1871), born in Ashtabula County, colonel in the American Civil War, raided several towns in Missouri and the American South[23]
  • Danielle Nicolet, television, film, and voice actress born in Ashtabula
  • Larry Obhof, attorney and former President of the Ohio Senate
  • Ransom Eli Olds, pioneer of the American automobile industry, for whom both the Oldsmobile and Reo brands were named
  • Glenn W. Salisbury, agricultural scientist
  • Louis C. Shepard, American Civil War Medal of Honor recipient from Ashtabula County, buried in Lakeview Cemetery, Port Clinton, Ottawa County, Ohio
  • Decius Wade, attorney, judge, writer, and politician who has been called the "Father of Montana Jurisprudence" for his role in establishing the common law and statutory law of the U.S. state of Montana
  • Clarence Darrow, American lawyer who became famous in the early 20th century for his involvement in the Leopold and Loeb murder trial and the Scopes "Monkey" Trial.
  • Connie Schultz, an American writer and journalist and wife of United States Senator Sherrod Brown.[24]
  • Doug Tompkins, co-founder of North Face and Esprit

See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Ashtabula County, Ohio

References[]

  1. ^ 2020 census
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ "Ohio: Individual County Chronologies". Ohio Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2007. http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/OH_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm. 
  4. ^ Cross, Tom (2008). Fishing Ohio: An Angler's Guide to Over 200 Fishing Spots in the Buckeye State. Lyons Press. p. 112. ISBN 978-0-7627-4326-1. https://books.google.com/books?id=tua1o8AiyN4C&pg=PA112. 
  5. ^ Mahr, August C. (November 1959). "Practical Reasons for Algonkian Indian Stream and Place Names". Ohio Journal of Science 59 (6): 365–375. ISSN 0030-0950. 
  6. ^ "apchi". Lenape Talking Dictionary. http://www.talk-lenape.org/detail.php?id=540. 
  7. ^ "tèpihële". Lenape Talking Dictionary. http://www.talk-lenape.org/detail.php?id=10122. 
  8. ^ "Ferrante Winery brings home the gold" (in en-US). http://www.ashtabulawave.org/ferrante-winery-brings-home-the-gold/. 
  9. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_39.txt. 
  10. ^ "Ashtabula, Lake are Ohio's largest and smallest counties by area". cleveland.com. January 18, 2011. http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2011/01/ashtabula_lake_are_ohios_large.html. 
  11. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  12. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  13. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/oh190090.txt. 
  14. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  15. ^ 2020 census
  16. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov. 
  17. ^ "Archived copy". http://www.mla.org/cgi-shl/docstudio/docs.pl?map_data_results. 
  18. ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US39007. 
  19. ^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US39007. 
  20. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US39007. 
  21. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US39007. 
  22. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 
  23. ^ a b c Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607–1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963. 
  24. ^ https://www.starbeacon.com/news/local_news/ashtabula-native-connie-schultz-honored-with-signs/article_8ccd5626-626a-57c8-bcd6-54833f85888e.html

External links[]

Coordinates: 41°53′N 80°46′W / 41.89, -80.76

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