Knox County, Ohio

Knox County, Ohio
Seal
Location in the state of Ohio
Ohio's location in the U.S.
Founded	March 1, 1808[1]
Named for	Henry Knox
Seat	Mount Vernon
Largest city	Mount Vernon
Area
• Total	530 sq mi (1,373 km2)
• Land	525 sq mi (1,360 km2)
• Water	4.1 sq mi (11 km2), 0.8%
Population
• (2010)	60,921
• Density	116/sq mi (45/km²)
Congressional district	7th
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website	.org.knoxcountyohiowww

The Knox County Courthouse in Mount Vernon

Knox County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 60,921.^[2] Its county seat is Mount Vernon.^[3] The county is named for Henry Knox, an officer in the American Revolutionary War who was later the first Secretary of War.^[4]

Knox County comprises the Mount Vernon, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH Combined Statistical Area.

History

Knox County was formed from Fairfield County^[5] in 1808. A rich African American cultural heritage has existed in the county since its founding.^[6]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 530 square miles (1,400 km²), of which 525 square miles (1,360 km²) is land and 4.1 square miles (11 km²) (0.8%) is water.^[7] Approximately 58% of the county is farmland and 28% is forested.^[8] Most of the county lies in the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau with rolling hills and valleys. Although the relief is not sharp, some elevations in the county reach over 1400 feet above sea level.

Adjacent counties

• Richland County (north)
• Ashland County (far northeast)
• Holmes County (northeast)
• Coshocton County (east)
• Licking County (south)
• Delaware County (southwest)
• Morrow County (northwest)

Demographics

As of the census^[14] of 2010,^[15] there were 60,921 people, 22,607 households, and 15,693 families residing in the county. There were 24,997 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 96.7% White, 0.8% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.4% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. 1.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 22,607 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 27.4% 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 3.04.

In the county, the population was spread out with 28.0% under the age of 20, 7.9% from 20 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.3 years. For every 100 females there were 94.70 males. For every 100 females, there were 95.4 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $48,734, and the median income for a family was $50,034. The per capita income for the county was $22,628. About 9.4% of families and 13.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.2% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Roster of County Officials:

• Commissioners: Teresa Bemiller, Roger Reed, Thom Collier
• Prosecutor: Chip McConville
• Sheriff: David Shaffer
• Auditor: Jonette Curry
• Treasurer: Shelly Coon
• Recorder: John Lybarger
• Clerk of Courts: Mary Jo Hawkins
• Engineer: Jim Henry
• Judge, Common Pleas Court: Otho Eyster
• Judge, Juvenile/Probate: Jennifer Springer

Economy

A large portion of Knox County's economy is based on agriculture, with gross cash receipts for crops and livestock at $110 million for 2011. Corn is the primary crop, followed by soybeans and livestock.^[8] Mount Vernon, the county seat, is home to major employers in the county, Siemens Energy Inc. (formerly Rolls-Royce Energy Systems, Inc. and Cooper Industries before that) and Ariel Corporation, both of which are manufacturers of components used in the natural gas industry. Major employers in the county also include Kenyon College located in Gambier, Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Mount Vernon, and the Kokosing Construction Company near Fredericktown.

Education

• Kenyon College
• Mount Vernon Nazarene University
• Central Ohio Technical College

Communities

Map of Knox County, Ohio with Municipal and Township Labels

City

• Mount Vernon (county seat)

Villages

• Centerburg
• Danville
• Fredericktown
• Gambier
• Gann
• Martinsburg
• Utica

Townships

Census-designated places

• Bladensburg
• Howard

Unincorporated communities

• Bangs
• Jelloway
• Mount Liberty

Notable residents

• Thomas Peter Akers, United States Congressman^[16]
• Paul Lynde, actor (Bewitched, Hollywood Squares)
• Dan Emmett, songwriter of "Dixie"
• George Hunt, Illinois Attorney General
• Luke Perry, (Beverly Hills, 90210)

See also

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

References

1. ^ "Ohio County Profiles: Knox County" (PDF). Ohio Department of Development. Retrieved 2007-04-28. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 8, 2015. 
3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
4. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States.  
5. ^ Miller, Charles Christian (1912). History of Fairfield County, Ohio, and representative citizens. Chicago: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company. p. 82. 
6. ^ "The Community Within: Knox County Black History Archives". Kenyon College Digital Archives. Retrieved 30 January 2015. 
7. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved February 8, 2015. 
8. ^ ^{a b} Reed, Alan. 17 March 2012. "County crop, livestock receipts at $110M." Mount Vernon News. Accessed: 17 March 2012.
9. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015. 
10. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 8, 2015. 
11. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved February 8, 2015. 
12. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 8, 2015. 
13. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved February 8, 2015. 
14. ^ "American FactFinder".  
15. ^ "2010 Census". American Fact Finder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 22 November 2013. 
16. ^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607–1896. Marquis Who's Who. 1967. 

External links

• Knox County Government