Ashtabula County ( ) is the northeasternmost
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
in the
U.S. state of
Ohio
Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
. As of the
2020 census, the population was 97,574. The
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...
is
Jefferson.
The county was created in 1808 and later organized in 1811. The
name Ashtabula derives from the
Lenape language phrase ''ashte-pihële'', which translates to 'always enough (fish) to go around, to be given away'
and is a contraction of ''apchi'' ('always') + ''tepi'' ('enough') + ''hële'' (verb of motion). 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 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 due to the favorable
microclimate
A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often with a slight difference but sometimes with a substantial one. The term may refer to areas as small as a few squ ...
from the nearby lake. During the winter, Ashtabula County (along with neighboring
Geauga and
Lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
Counties, as well as
Crawford and
Erie Counties in neighboring
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
) 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
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...
and renamed
Province of Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirteen ...
. 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.
During the pre-
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...
period, the entire
Western Reserve area of Ohio was anti-slavery, but Ashtabula County was at the center of the resistance.
John Brown's eldest son,
John Jr., lived in the county for years, and his brother
Owen
Owen may refer to:
Origin: The name Owen is of Irish and Welsh origin.
Its meanings range from noble, youthful, and well-born.
Gender: Owen is historically the masculine form of the name. Popular feminine variations include Eowyn and Owena. ...
took refuge with him when Virginia was seeking to extradite him for his role in
the raid on Harpers Ferry. An armed group of 200 made them safer than anywhere in the U.S., they said, or even Canada.
Dangerfield Newby met John Brown in Ashtabula County.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (49%) is water.
It is the largest county in Ohio by area.
Adjacent counties
Across
Lake Erie
Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also ha ...
lie
Elgin and
Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nor ...
Counties,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada (north).
*
Erie County, Pennsylvania (northeast)
*
Crawford County, Pennsylvania
Crawford County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 83,938. Its county seat is Meadville. The county was created on March 12, 1800, from part of Allegheny County and named for Colonel ...
(east)
*
Trumbull County (south)
*
Geauga County (southwest)
*
Lake County (west)
Major highways
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Demographics
2000 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...
of 2000, there were 102,728 people, 39,397 households, and 27,774 families residing in the county. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...
was 146 people per square mile (56/km
2). There were 43,792 housing units at an average density of 62 per square mile (24/km
2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.07%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...
, 3.16%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...
or
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.19%
Native American, 0.34%
Asian, 0.02%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 0.85% from
other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. 2.23% of the population were
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or
Latino of any race. 19.3% were of
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
, 11.6%
Italian, 10.6%
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
, 10.5%
Irish, and 10.3%
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
ancestry according to
Census 2000. 95.2% spoke
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
, 2.4%
Spanish, and 0.8%
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
as their first language.
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
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the county was $16,814. About 9.20% of families and 12.10% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, 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
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...
, there were 101,497 people, 39,363 households, and 26,495 families residing in the county.
The population density was . There were 46,099 housing units at an average density of .
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.
In terms of ancestry, 24.9% were German, 15.8% were Irish, 12.6% were English, 11.1% were Italian, 10.0% were
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
, and 5.8% were Polish.
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.
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
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 21.7% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
According to the accompanying table, Ashtabula County voted for the Democratic candidate for president in every election between 1988 and 2012. Prior to that, however, no fewer than 19 Republican candidates won the county with greater than 61% of the vote. In 2020, incumbent Donald Trump carried the county with 60.8%.
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
The following is a list of covered bridges in Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States. Ashtabula County has the most public covered bridges – currently 19 – of any county in Ohio, with six having been newly constructed since 1983. Self-driv ...
.
Communities
Cities
*
Ashtabula
*
Conneaut
*
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situa ...
Villages
*
Andover
Andover may refer to:
Places Australia
*Andover, Tasmania
Canada
* Andover Parish, New Brunswick
* Perth-Andover, New Brunswick
United Kingdom
* Andover, Hampshire, England
** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station
United States
* Andov ...
*
Geneva-on-the-Lake
*
Jefferson (county seat)
*
North Kingsville
*
Orwell
*
Roaming Shores
*
Rock Creek
Townships
*
Andover
Andover may refer to:
Places Australia
*Andover, Tasmania
Canada
* Andover Parish, New Brunswick
* Perth-Andover, New Brunswick
United Kingdom
* Andover, Hampshire, England
** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station
United States
* Andov ...
*
Ashtabula
*
Austinburg
*
Cherry Valley
*
Colebrook
*
Conneaut
*
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
*
Dorset
*
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situa ...
*
Harpersfield
*
Hartsgrove
*
Jefferson
*
Kingsville
*
Lenox
*
Monroe
*
Morgan Morgan may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Morgan (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Morgan le Fay, a powerful witch in Arthurian legend
* Morgan (surname), a surname of Welsh origin
* Morgan (singer ...
*
New Lyme
*
Orwell
*
Pierpont
*
Plymouth
*
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, Californi ...
*
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
*
Saybrook
*
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire ...
*
Trumbull
*
Wayne
*
Williamsfield
*
Windsor
Census-designated places
*
Austinburg
*
Edgewood
*
Kingsville
*
Saybrook-on-the-Lake
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
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central division. Since , they have ...
pitcher, originally from Geneva
*
John Brown Junior (1821–1895), son of the
abolitionist John Brown, lived in Ashtabula County during the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...
period, and his brother
Owen
Owen may refer to:
Origin: The name Owen is of Irish and Welsh origin.
Its meanings range from noble, youthful, and well-born.
Gender: Owen is historically the masculine form of the name. Popular feminine variations include Eowyn and Owena. ...
(1824–1889) took refuge with him..
*
Charles Case
Charles Case (December 21, 1817 – June 30, 1883) was an American lawyer who served two terms as a U.S. Representative from Indiana from 1857 to 1861,
Biography
Case was born in Austinburg, Ohio; studied law; was admitted to the bar and commenc ...
(1817–1883), born in Austinburg,
United States congressman from
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
*
Tammy Cochran
Tammy Cochran (born January 30, 1972) is an American country music artist. Signed to Epic Records Nashville in 2000, she released her Tammy Cochran (album), self titled debut album that year, followed a year later by ''Life Happened''. These two ...
, country music singer from Austinburg; biggest hit was "Angels in Waiting"
*
Edwin Cowles (1825–1890), born in Austinburg, publisher of ''
The Cleveland Leader
''The Cleveland Leader'' was a newspaper published in Cleveland from 1854 to 1917.
History
The ''Cleveland Leader'' was created in 1854 by Edwin Cowles, who merged a variety of abolitionist, pre-Republican Party titles under the ''Leader''. Fr ...
'', vice-president of the 1884
Republican National Convention
*
Charles DeBarber
Charles "Fox" DeBarber is an American cyber threat intelligence and tech victim advocate, best known for his role as a cyber intelligence analyst on the CBS television series ''Hunted''. He is a former United States Army analyst and is the Dire ...
, a cyber intelligence analyst on CBS's
Hunted (2017 TV series)
''Hunted'' is an American reality TV series based on the UK TV series of the same name. It ran on CBS from January 22 to March 1, 2017.
Premise
The show is a competition series that centers on nine teams of two as they are fugitives on the run ...
*
Joshua Reed Giddings
Joshua Reed Giddings (October 6, 1795 – May 27, 1864) was an American attorney, politician and a prominent opponent of slavery. He represented Northeast Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1838 to 1859. He was at first a member of ...
(1795–1864), member of the
U.S. House of Representatives and prominent opponent of
slavery
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
*
Rosetta Luce Gilchrist
Rosetta Luce Gilchrist (, Luce; April 11, 1850February 17, 1921) was an American physician, author, novelist, poet, and correspondent. She served as president of the Ashtabula Equal Rights Club.
Early life and education
Rosetta Luce was born in ...
(1850-1921), physician, writer, president of the Ashtabula Equal Rights Club
*
Francis Joseph Hall, was an American Protestant Episcopal theologian and author.
*
Ken Meyer
Kenneth W. Meyer (July 14, 1925 – August 14, 2016) was an American football coach at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. He may be best remembered as the head coach of the National Football League's San Francisco 49ers in 19 ...
, 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
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
, raided several towns in Missouri and the American South
*
Dangerfield Newby (c. 1820–1859), a freed slave who was killed during
John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry.
*
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
Lewis Capet Shepard (September 2, 1841 – April 27, 1919) was a Union Navy sailor during the American Civil War who received America's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Second Battle of Fort Fisher. Due ...
,
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...
recipient from Ashtabula County, buried in Lakeview Cemetery,
Port Clinton,
Ottawa County, Ohio
*
Decius Wade
Decius Spear Wade (January 23, 1835 – August 3, 1905) was an American 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. ...
, 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
Sherrod Campbell Brown (; born November 9, 1952) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Ohio, a seat which he has held since 2007. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the U.S. representative for Ohio ...
.
*
Doug Tompkins
Douglas Rainsford Tompkins (March 20, 1943 – December 8, 2015) was an American businessman, conservationist, outdoorsman, philanthropist, filmmaker, and agriculturalist. He co-founded the North Face Inc, Esprit and various environmental group ...
, co-founder of North Face and Esprit
*
Danielle Nicolet, Actress
See also
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Ashtabula County, Ohio
References
External links
Ashtabula County Government's websiteThe Ashtabula County District Library
{{Coord, 41.89, -80.76, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-OH_source:UScensus1990
Appalachian Ohio
Counties of Appalachia
1811 establishments in Ohio
Populated places established in 1811
Ohio counties in the Western Reserve