Dennison is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

Tuscarawas County Tuscarawas County ( ) is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 93,263. Its county seat is New Philadelphia. Its name is a Delaware Indian word variously translated as ...

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 ...

, United States. The population was 2,655 at the 2010 census.

History

The confluence of coal and railroads drove the development of Dennison. It is located at the midpoint between

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

and

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

-- from each. At the time, locomotives needed water every , so Dennison was a natural refilling location. The Dennison Coal Company had mines south of town. In 1864, The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railway decided to locate the country's largest railroad shops and yards in Dennison. Dennison Land Company laid out the town of Dennison in 1865 and purchased land expressly for the town. The railyards spanned . Demand for passenger service led to construction of a station in 1873. Thousands moved to the area for jobs in the roundhouses, turntables and foundries. At its peak, 3,000 people worked in the railyards. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company eventually subsumed the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railway. The village incorporated in 1873, and was named for governor William Dennison. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, the Red Cross operated a canteen from a boxcar. Canteen volunteers prepared coffee and sandwiches for troops traveling through by train. In 1922, a strike marked the end of the golden era of Dennison. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, the Dennison Canteen operated from March 19, 1942 to April 8, 1946. Initially in a gas station on Center and Fifth Street, it moved to the depot restaurant and was dubbed "Dreamsville". The last passenger train service stopped in 1968. The last freight train stop in Dennison was in 1982. Freight trains still roll through, but they no longer stop in Dennison. In the 1980s, Dennison elected

Greg DiDonato Gregory L. DiDonato (born July 28, 1963) of Dennison, Ohio, is an American politician of the Democratic party. While still in high school, DiDonato was elected to the village council of Dennison, Ohio. At age 21, he was elected mayor of the Vill ...

as a member of council (while he was still a high school student) and then elected him mayor. He went on to serve as Ohio State Representative, Ohio State Senator and minority leader of the Ohio Senate.

Geography

Dennison is located at (40.394045, -81.330064). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the village has a total area of , all land.

Climate

Demographics

2010 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 2010, there were 2,655 people, 1,043 households, and 693 families living in the village. 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 . There were 1,194 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 96.8%

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 ...

, 1.0%

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 ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races.

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 were 1.0% of the population. There were 1,043 households, of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.6% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.09. The median age in the village was 35.5 years. 26.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.7% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 12.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,992 people, 1,132 households, and 822 families living in the village. The

was 2,174.5 people per square mile (837.1/km²). There were 1,233 housing units at an average density of 896.1 per square mile (345.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.19%

, 1.64%

, 0.20% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.10%

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 ...

, 0.37% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.00% of the population. There were 1,132 households, out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were

living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.09. In the village, the population was spread out, with 28.1% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males. The median income for a household in the village was $29,020, and the median income for a family was $32,168. Males had a median income of $27,679 versus $19,490 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 village was $13,389. About 12.3% of families and 17.2% 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 25.6% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.

Dennison Railroad Depot Museum

The 1873 station is now renovated into a railroad history museum. It features an N-scale model of the historic railyard.

References

External links

Dennison Industrial Park

School system

Dennison Railroad Depot Museum

* {{authority control Villages in Tuscarawas County, Ohio Villages in Ohio Populated places established in 1865