Harrison County is a

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 ...

located 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 14,483, making it the fifth-least populous county in Ohio. Its

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 Cadiz. The county is named for General

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was an American military officer and politician who served as the ninth president of the United States. Harrison died just 31 days after his inauguration in 1841, and had the shortest pres ...

, who was later

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...

History

Harrison County was formed from parts of Jefferson and Tuscarawas Counties in 1813. The county was named after General William Henry Harrison, the hero of the battle of Tippecanoe in the War of 1812 (and later to become the 9th US president). Oil was discovered near

Jewett, Ohio Jewett is a village in Harrison County, Ohio, United States. The population was 692 at the 2010 census. History Jewett was originally called Fairview, and under the latter name was platted in 1851. The present name is for T. M. Jewett, a railr ...

in 1895, and then in the

Scio, Ohio Scio is a village in Harrison County, Ohio, United States. The population was 763 at the 2010 census. History Scio was originally called New Market, and under the latter name was platted in 1852. Geography According to the United States Census ...

area in 1898. However, by 1901, the Scio

oil boom An oil boom is a period of large inflow of income as a result of high global oil prices or large oil production in an economy. Generally, this short period initially brings economic benefits, in terms of increased GDP growth, but might later le ...

had essentially ceased.

Geography

According to the

U.S. 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 the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.1%) is water. On May 16, 2013, the Chicago Tribune Business section reported that the Utica Shale underlying Harrison County shows promise as a tight oil production zone. To produce tight oil in large quantities would require horizontal drilling and fracturing of the shale formation as is being done in North Dakota and Texas.

Adjacent counties

* Carroll County (north) * Jefferson County (east) * Belmont County (south) * Guernsey County (southwest) *

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 ...

(west)

Conotton Creek Trail

The

Conotton Creek Trail The Conotton Creek Trail is a rail trail in Ohio, running from Bowerston to Jewett in northern Harrison County. The trail spains 11.2 miles one way or 22.4 miles round trip. The paved multi-use trail is suitable for biking, unicycling, rolle ...

is a

rails-to-trails A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...

path that runs along

Conotton Creek Conotton Creek ( ) is a tributary of the Tuscarawas River, 38.7 miles (62.3 km) long, in eastern Ohio in the United States. Via the Tuscarawas, Muskingum and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an are ...

from Bowerston to Jewett in northern Harrison County, Ohio. The paved multi-use trail is long.

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 15,856 people, 6,398 households, and 4,516 families living 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 39 people per square mile (15/km²). There were 7,680 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.49%

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 ...

, 2.19%

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 ...

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 ...

, 0.08% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.01%

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 ...

, 0.09% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. 0.37% 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. There were 6,398 households, out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% 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, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.92. In the county, the population was spread out, with 23% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males. The median income for a household in the county was $30,318, and the median income for a family was $36,646. Males had a median income of $30,485 versus $18,813 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 $16,479. 13.3% of the population and 11% of families 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 ...

. 17.5% of those under the age of 18 and 8.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

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 15,864 people, 6,526 households, and 4,452 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 8,170 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 95.9% white, 2.1% black or African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% American Indian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 20.9% were

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 ...

, 15.5% were Irish, 9.0% were

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 ...

, 8.9% 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 5.7% were Polish. Of the 6,526 households, 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.8% were non-families, and 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 44.4 years. The median income for a household in the county was $35,363 and the median income for a family was $44,325. Males had a median income of $38,489 versus $24,063 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,318. About 14.1% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the

, including 26.3% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Harrison County was considered a swing county in presidential elections prior to 2016. The last Democrat to win the county was

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...

in 1996, although

Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic ...

came within 66 votes in 2000 and

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

came within 189 votes in 2008.

Communities

Villages

* Adena * Bowerston * Cadiz (county seat) * Deersville * Freeport * Harrisville * Hopedale * Jewett * New Athens * Scio

Townships

* Archer *

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...

* Cadiz * Franklin * Freeport *

Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combin ...

* Monroe * Moorefield *

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north ...

Nottingham Nottingham ( , locally ) is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east of Sheffield and north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham has links to the legend of Robi ...

* Rumley * Short Creek *

Stock In finance, stock (also capital stock) consists of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided.Longman Business English Dictionary: "stock - ''especially AmE'' one of the shares into which ownership of a compan ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

Census-designated place

* Tippecanoe

Unincorporated communities

* Brownsville * Conotton * East Cadiz * Georgetown * Germano * Laceyville * Moorefield * New Rumley *

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; grc, Σμύρνη, Smýrnē, or , ) was a Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to prom ...

* Tappan

Notable residents

John Bingham John Armor Bingham (January 21, 1815 – March 19, 1900) was an American politician who served as a Republican representative from Ohio and as the United States ambassador to Japan. In his time as a congressman, Bingham served as both ass ...

- Representative to Congress and author of significant portions of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution * Benjamin Cowen - Assistant Secretary of the Interior, who was principal political facilitator in establishing

Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress with the Yellowst ...

and the idea that the use of national parks is for all Americans * George Custer - served 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 ...

and was killed in the Battle of Little Big Horn * Thomas Custer -

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, and brother to George Custer *

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...

- actor * William Henry Holmes -

anthropologist An anthropologist is a person engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms an ...

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landsca ...

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althou ...

, and museum director * Edwin Stanton - Secretary of War in the

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...

administration

References

External links

Harrison County website
{{Coord, 40.29, -81.09, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-OH_source:UScensus1990 Appalachian Ohio Counties of Appalachia 1813 establishments in Ohio Populated places established in 1813