Wayne County, Ohio

History

Wayne County as it exists today was described in legislation in 1808 but was not formally organized until January 1812, with effect from March 1. An earlier Wayne County, created by the government of the Northwest Territory in 1796, included much of northern Ohio and all of the lower peninsula of Michigan. That Wayne County is now part of Michigan.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 557 sqmi, of which 555 sqmi is land and 1.9 sqmi (0.3%) is water.

Adjacent counties

• Medina County (north)
• Summit County (northeast)
• Stark County (east)
• Holmes County (south)
• Ashland County (west)

Demographics

| align-fn = center 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2020 2024

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 116,894. The median age was 39.0 years; 24.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.6% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.5 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 92.2% White, 1.5% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% Asian,

44.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 55.8% lived in rural areas.

There were 43,983 households in the county, of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.9% were married-couple households, 17.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 46,555 housing units, of which 5.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 72.3% were owner-occupied and 27.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%.

Racial and ethnic composition

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 114,520 people, 42,638 households, and 30,070 families living in the county.{{cite web |access-date=December 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213030247/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US39169 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead |access-date=December 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213184628/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US39169 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead |access-date=December 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213023321/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US39169 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead

Of the 42,638 households, 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.5% were non-families, and 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.13. The median age was 38.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $48,375 and the median income for a family was $59,692. Males had a median income of $42,082 versus $29,623 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,645. About 7.8% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.{{cite web |access-date=December 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213010426/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US39169 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 111,564 people, 40,445 households, and 29,484 families living in the county. The population density was 201 /mi2. There were 42,324 housing units at an average density of 76 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 96.52% White, 1.57% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.66% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. 0.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 31.7% were of German, 13.9% American, 9.6% Irish, 9.0% English and 5.5% Swiss ancestry according to Census 2000. 91.5% spoke English, 3.2% German, 1.6% Dutch, 1.5% Pennsylvania Dutch and 1.2% Spanish as their first language.

There were 40,445 households, out of which 35.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.80% were married couples living together, 8.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.10% were non-families. 22.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.40% under the age of 18, 9.80% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 12.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,538, and the median income for a family was $48,294. Males had a median income of $33,976 versus $23,203 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,330. About 5.40% of families and 8.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.60% of those under age 18 and 6.90% of those age 65 or over.

Ancestry

There were several large waves of migration into what it is today Wayne County, Ohio. The first wave was groups of families from New England, migrating westward into what was then the Northwest Territory and then early statehood era Ohio between the 1790s and the 1820s. Most of the settlers who arrived in what would become Wayne County at that time were from New England. They were overwhelmingly Congregationalists, however, in the 1810s several arrived who had become Methodists, Baptists and Presbyterians during the Second Great Awakening. These groups were of English ancestry, being descended from the English Puritans who arrived in colonial New England during the 1620s and 1630s. The English-descended "Yankee" New Englanders established the county in 1812. The second large migration was German immigrants, the Germans settled in Wayne County in large numbers between the 1820s and the 1880s, forming a steady stream of migration into the county during that time. These immigrants were almost exclusively Lutheran. Lastly in the early 1850s a large group of Irish immigrants arrived in the county as part of a large wave of migration entering the United States at that time. This group was overwhelmingly Catholic. Many families currently in Wayne County go back to the early 19th century settlement of the county by New Englanders. Today, many of these same people who cite that they are of "American" ancestry are actually of English descent, however, they have families that have been in the state so long, in many cases since the colonial period, that they choose to identify simply as having "American" ancestry or do not, in fact, know their own ancestry. Their ancestry primarily goes back to the original Thirteen Colonies and for this reason many of them today simply claim "American" ancestry, though they are of predominantly English ancestry. There are also many Irish-Americans in the county. German-Americans have formed the largest single group in Wayne County since the late 1800s.

Politics

Prior to 1912, Wayne County was a Democratic stronghold in presidential elections, only voting Republicans twice since 1856. It was a bellwether from 1912 to 1936, but starting with the 1940 election, the county has become a Republican stronghold with Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 being the last Democrat to win the county. |}

Government==

The Wayne County Public Library serves the communities of Wayne County, Ohio from its administrative offices in Wooster, Ohio and branches in Creston, Dalton, Doylestown, Rittman, Shreve, and West Salem. It also offers bookmobile service and outreach program, and patron can use the extended services of CLEVNET, a group of libraries located in northeast Ohio.

In 2005, the library lent more than 1.2 million items to its 54,000 cardholders. Total holding are over 340,000 volumes with over 900 periodical subscriptions.

Education

• Central Christian High School
• Chippewa High School
• Dalton High School
• Kingsway Christian School
• Northwestern High School
• Norwayne High School
• Orrville High School
• Rittman High School
• Smithville High School
• Triway High School
• Waynedale High School
• Wooster High School

The College of Wooster is also located in Wayne County.

Communities

Cities

• Orrville
• Rittman
• Wooster (county seat)
• Norton (mostly in Summit County)

Villages

• Apple Creek
• Burbank
• Congress
• Creston
• Dalton
• Doylestown
• Fredericksburg
• Marshallville
• Mount Eaton
• Shreve
• Smithville
• West Salem

Townships

• Baughman
• Canaan
• Chester
• Chippewa
• Clinton
• Congress
• East Union
• Franklin
• Green
• Milton
• Paint
• Plain
• Salt Creek
• Sugar Creek
• Wayne
• Wooster

Census-designated places

• Kidron
• New Pittsburg
• Sterling

Unincorporated communities

• Blachleyville
• Burnetts Corners
• Burton City
• Cedar Valley
• Centerville
• Devil Town
• East Union
• Easton
• Funk
• Golden Corners
• Guerne
• Hillcrest
• Honeytown
• Jefferson
• Johnsons Corners
• Lattasburg
• Maysville
• Mechanicsburg
• Millbrook
• Moreland
• Overton
• Pleasant Home
• Reedsburg
• Riceland
• Springville
• West Lebanon
• Westwood
• Weilersville

Footnotes

References

1. "Wayne County History". Wayne County Public Library.
2. "QuickFacts: Wayne County, Ohio".
3. [https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/2020-population-and-housing-state-data.html 2020 census]
4. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
5. Goodman, Rebecca. (2005). "This Day in Ohio History". Emmis Books.
6. "Wayne County - Ohio History Central".
7. Benjamin Douglass, 'History of Wayne County, Ohio, from the Days of the Pioneers and First Settlers to the Present Time'. Indianapolis, IN: Robert Douglass, 1878, pp 53-54.
8. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
9. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
10. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
11. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
12. (April 2, 2001). "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
13. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
14. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
15. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
16. "1980 Census of Population - General Social and Economic Characteristics - Ohio- Table 59 - Persons by Spanish Origin, Race, and Sex: 1980 AND Table 58 - Race by Sex: 1980".
17. "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Ohio: Table 6 - Race and Hispanic Origin".
18. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Wayne County, Ohio".
19. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Wayne County, Ohio".
20. "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Wayne County, Ohio".
21. included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
22. included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
23. not an option in the 1980 Census
24. not an option in the 1990 Census
25. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
26. Frontier Justice: Wayne County 1796-1836 - Elizabeth Gaspar Brown - The American Journal of Legal History -Vol. 16, No. 2 (Apr. 1972), pp. 126-153
27. link. (October 16, 2015 By Dominic J. Pulera.)
28. Reynolds Farley, 'The New Census Question about Ancestry: What Did It Tell Us?', ''Demography'', Vol. 28, No. 3 (August 1991), pp. 414, 421.
29. Stanley Lieberson and Lawrence Santi, 'The Use of Nativity Data to Estimate Ethnic Characteristics and Patterns', ''Social Science Research'', Vol. 14, No. 1 (1985), pp. 44–6.
30. Stanley Lieberson and Mary C. Waters, 'Ethnic Groups in Flux: The Changing Ethnic Responses of American Whites', ''Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science'', Vol. 487, No. 79 (September 1986), pp. 82–86.
31. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
32. "Hours & Contact Information". Wayne County Public Library.
33. "2005 Ohio Public Library Statistics:Public Libraries Ranked by Circulation". State Library of Ohio.
34. "2005 Ohio Public Library Statistics:Statistics by County and Town". State Library of Ohio.