Lawrence County, Ohio

County in Ohio, United States

U.S. county in Ohio

Lawrence County

U.S. county

Lawrence County Courthouse

Lawrence County Courthouse

Official seal of Lawrence County

Seal

Error creating thumbnail:

Location within the U.S. state of Ohio

Ohio's location within the U.S.

Country|  United States
State|  Ohio
Founded| March 1, 1817
Named for| James Lawrence
Seat| Ironton
Largest city| Ironton
Area

• Total| 457 sq mi (1,180 km2)
• Land| 453 sq mi (1,170 km2)
• Water| 3.9 sq mi (10 km2)  0.9%%
Population

(2020)

• Total| 58,240
• Density| 130/sq mi (50/km2)
Time zone| UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district| 6th
Website| www.lawrencecountyohio.org

Lawrence County is the southernmost county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,240.[1] Its county seat is Ironton.[2] The county was created in 1815 and later organized in 1817.[3] It is named for James Lawrence, the naval officer famous for the line "do not give up the ship".[4] Lawrence County is part of the Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Geography
* 2.1 Adjacent counties
* 2.2 National protected area
* 3 Demographics
* 3.1 2000 census
* 3.2 2010 census
* 4 Politics
* 5 Government
* 6 Communities
* 6.1 City
* 6.2 Villages
* 6.3 Townships
* 6.4 Census-designated places
* 6.5 Unincorporated communities
* 7 See also
* 8 References
* 9 External links

## History

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The earliest European-American settlers, Luke Kelly and his family, and May Keyser, settled at Hanging Rock along the Ohio River in 1796, having migrated from the east.[5] Lawrence County was formed on December 20, 1816, from parts of Gallia and Scioto counties, with the county seat named as Burlington.[6] In 1851 the county seat was moved from Burlington to Ironton. A new courthouse was built at that time. It burned in 1857. The present Lawrence County Courthouse was built in 1908.

Men from Lawrence County served in the Mexican–American War, with at least one having died during that conflict. By 1862, about 3,200 of Lawrence County's men were soldiers in the Union Army in the American Civil War.[7] During World War I, 2,200 of Lawrence County's men served in the armed forces, and 99 died.[8]

When first settled, Lawrence County was rich in natural resources such as iron, timber, coal, natural gas, oil, and salt. By the beginning of the twentieth century, many of these had been depleted by resource extraction and industrial development.[citation needed]

## Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 457 square miles (1,180 km2), of which 453 square miles (1,170 km2) is land and 3.9 square miles (10 km2) (0.9%) is water.[9] It is the southernmost county in the state of Ohio and part of Appalachian Ohio.

### Adjacent counties

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* Jackson County (north)
* Gallia County (northeast)
* Cabell County, West Virginia (southeast)
* Wayne County, West Virginia (south)
* Boyd County, Kentucky (southwest)
* Greenup County, Kentucky (southwest)
* Scioto County (northwest)

### National protected area

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* Wayne National Forest (part)

## Demographics

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Historical population

Census | Pop. |  | %±
1820| 3,499| | —
1830| 5,367| | 53.4%
1840| 9,738| | 81.4%
1850| 15,246| | 56.6%
1860| 23,249| | 52.5%
1870| 31,380| | 35.0%
1880| 39,068| | 24.5%
1890| 39,556| | 1.2%
1900| 39,534| | −0.1%
1910| 39,488| | −0.1%
1920| 39,540| | 0.1%
1930| 44,541| | 12.6%
1940| 46,705| | 4.9%
1950| 49,115| | 5.2%
1960| 55,438| | 12.9%
1970| 56,868| | 2.6%
1980| 63,849| | 12.3%
1990| 61,834| | −3.2%
2000| 62,319| | 0.8%
2010| 62,450| | 0.2%
2020| 58,240| | −6.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
1790-1960[11] 1900-1990[12]
1990-2000[13] 2020 [14]

### 2000 census

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As of the census[15] of 2000, there were 62,319 people, 24,732 households, and 17,807 families living in the county. The population density was 137 people per square mile (53/km2). There were 27,189 housing units at an average density of 60 per square mile (23/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.55% White, 2.09% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.11% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. 0.57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 24,732 households, out of which 32.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.00% were married couples living together, 11.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.00% were non-families. 24.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.50% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 24.50% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,127, and the median income for a family was $35,308. Males had a median income of $30,622 versus $20,961 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,678. About 15.10% of families and 18.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.30% of those under age 18 and 12.90% of those age 65 or over.

### 2010 census

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As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 62,450 people, 24,974 households, and 17,405 families living in the county.[16] The population density was 137.7 inhabitants per square mile (53.2/km2). There were 27,603 housing units at an average density of 60.9 per square mile (23.5/km2).[17] The racial makeup of the county was 95.9% white, 2.0% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.7% of the population.[16] In terms of ancestry, 18.0% were American, 15.4% were German, 12.9% were Irish, and 10.8% were English.[18] In Lawrence County, less than 1% of people who self-identify as "Irish" are Catholic. Scholars believe this is part of a trend in which people are vaguely aware that at least some of their ancestors come from Ireland, but that population is primarily of "Scots-Irish" or "Ulster Scots" ancestry, and those identifying as "Irish" are simply unaware of the distinction.[19] Those citing "American" ancestry in Lawrence County are of overwhelmingly English extraction, most English Americans identify simply as American because their ancestors have been in North America for centuries—in some cases since the 1600s.[20][21][22][23][24]

Of the 24,974 households, 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.3% were non-families, and 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 40.1 years.[16]

The median income for a household in the county was $36,461 and the median income for a family was $46,732. Males had a median income of $38,170 versus $28,251 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,452. About 15.2% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.0% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.[25]

## Politics

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Lawrence County tends to support the Republican Party in presidential elections. Bill Clinton was the last Democrat to win the county, in 1996 -- a distinction shared with 16 other Ohio counties, mostly in this region. Despite this fact, Democrats continued to crack 40% in election years.

United States presidential election results for Lawrence County, Ohio[26] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2020 | 20,306  | 72.06% | 7,489  | 26.58%  | 384  | 1.36%
2016 | 18,689  | 69.76% | 6,974  | 26.03%  | 1,126  | 4.20%
2012 | 14,651  | 56.50% | 10,744  | 41.43%  | 537  | 2.07%
2008 | 15,415  | 56.28% | 11,262  | 41.12%  | 713  | 2.60%
2004 | 15,455  | 55.77% | 12,120  | 43.74%  | 135  | 0.49%
2000 | 12,531  | 51.25% | 11,307  | 46.24%  | 614  | 2.51%
1996 | 8,832  | 36.91%  | 11,595  | 48.46% | 3,499  | 14.62%
1992 | 10,044  | 37.17%  | 12,325  | 45.61% | 4,652  | 17.22%
1988 | 12,937  | 52.23% | 11,628  | 46.95%  | 203  | 0.82%
1984 | 14,793  | 55.96% | 11,431  | 43.24%  | 213  | 0.81%
1980 | 13,799  | 52.68% | 11,366  | 43.39%  | 1,029  | 3.93%
1976 | 10,668  | 46.39%  | 12,072  | 52.50% | 256  | 1.11%
1972 | 15,125  | 67.02% | 7,112  | 31.52%  | 330  | 1.46%
1968 | 9,782  | 46.75% | 8,671  | 41.44%  | 2,470  | 11.81%
1964 | 7,757  | 38.04%  | 12,635  | 61.96% | 0  | 0.00%
1960 | 13,159  | 60.32% | 8,656  | 39.68%  | 0  | 0.00%
1956 | 12,607  | 62.72% | 7,492  | 37.28%  | 0  | 0.00%
1952 | 11,962  | 56.22% | 9,316  | 43.78%  | 0  | 0.00%
1948 | 8,113  | 45.88%  | 9,495  | 53.69% | 76  | 0.43%
1944 | 9,312  | 53.90% | 7,966  | 46.10%  | 0  | 0.00%
1940 | 10,274  | 49.08%  | 10,661  | 50.92% | 0  | 0.00%
1936 | 8,498  | 42.35%  | 11,471  | 57.17% | 97  | 0.48%
1932 | 8,598  | 50.83% | 8,157  | 48.22%  | 160  | 0.95%
1928 | 10,346  | 74.51% | 3,470  | 24.99%  | 69  | 0.50%
1924 | 6,798  | 63.96% | 2,729  | 25.68%  | 1,101  | 10.36%
1920 | 7,616  | 65.08% | 3,955  | 33.80%  | 131  | 1.12%
1916 | 4,363  | 59.10% | 2,821  | 38.21%  | 198  | 2.68%
1912 | 2,650  | 37.39% | 2,042  | 28.81%  | 2,395  | 33.79%
1908 | 5,708  | 66.67% | 2,654  | 31.00%  | 200  | 2.34%
1904 | 5,587  | 72.42% | 1,905  | 24.69%  | 223  | 2.89%
1900 | 5,505  | 64.97% | 2,876  | 33.94%  | 92  | 1.09%
1896 | 5,408  | 63.42% | 3,050  | 35.77%  | 69  | 0.81%
1892 | 4,193  | 56.84% | 2,988  | 40.50%  | 196  | 2.66%
1888 | 4,713  | 59.54% | 3,068  | 38.76%  | 135  | 1.71%
1884 | 4,817  | 60.91% | 3,024  | 38.24%  | 67  | 0.85%
1880 | 4,627  | 61.50% | 2,862  | 38.04%  | 34  | 0.45%
1876 | 3,975  | 57.15% | 2,949  | 42.40%  | 31  | 0.45%
1872 | 3,624  | 68.17% | 1,637  | 30.79%  | 55  | 1.03%
1868 | 3,159  | 65.73% | 1,647  | 34.27%  | 0  | 0.00%
1864 | 2,985  | 72.68% | 1,122  | 27.32%  | 0  | 0.00%
1860 | 1,801  | 55.90% | 1,147  | 35.60%  | 274  | 8.50%
1856 | 743  | 26.58%  | 1,150  | 41.14% | 902  | 32.27%

## Government

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Lawrence County has a 3-member Board of County Commissioners that oversee the various County departments, similar to all but 2 of the 88 Ohio counties. Lawrence County's elected commissioners are:

* County Commissioners: Colton Copley (R), Deanna Holliday (R), and Freddie Hayes, Jr. (R).[27]

Other Lawrence County Elected Officials: County Auditor (R) Paul David Knipp, County Treasurer (R) Tresa Baker, Clerk of Courts (D) Mike Patterson, Sheriff (R) Jeff Lawless, County Recorder (R) Sharon Gossett-Hager.

Primary Political Parties: Lawrence County Democratic Party, Lawrence County Republican Party

## Communities

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File:Map of Lawrence County Ohio With Municipal and Township Labels.PNGMap of Lawrence County, Ohio with Municipal and Township Labels

### City

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* Ironton (county seat)

### Villages

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* Athalia
* Chesapeake
* Coal Grove
* Hanging Rock
* Proctorville
* South Point

### Townships

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* Aid
* Decatur
* Elizabeth
* Fayette
* Hamilton
* Lawrence
* Mason
* Perry
* Rome
* Symmes
* Union
* Upper
* Washington
* Windsor

### Census-designated places

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* Burlington
* Miller

### Unincorporated communities

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* Eifort
* Etna
* Firebrick
* Kitts Hill
* Pedro
* Rock Camp
* Scottown
* Waterloo
* Willow Wood

## See also

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* National Register of Historic Places listings in Lawrence County, Ohio

## References

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1. ^ 2020 census
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. ^ "Ohio: Individual County Chronologies". Ohio Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2007. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
4. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 182.
5. ^ Brown, Paul M. (1966). "A Story About Lawrence County, Ohio". Huntington, WV: Paul Brown Publishing Co.: 15 (unnumbered). OCLC 2667859. `{{cite journal}}`: Cite journal requires `|journal=` (help)
6. ^ Brown, Paul M. (1966). "A Story About Lawrence County, Ohio". Huntington, WV: Paul Brown Publishing Co.: 10 (unnumbered). OCLC 2667859. `{{cite journal}}`: Cite journal requires `|journal=` (help)
7. ^ Ironton Register, October 9, 1862
8. ^ "WW I Stories".
9. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on May 4, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 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. ^ 2020 census
15. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
16. ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
17. ^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
18. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
19. ^ How the Irish Became Protestant in America Michael P. Carroll Religion and American Culture: A Journal of Interpretation Vol. 16, No. 1 (Winter 2006), pp. 25-54 - University of California Press
20. ^ "Ancestry of the Population by State: 1980 - Table 3" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
21. ^ Sharing the Dream: White Males in a Multicultural America By Dominic J. Pulera.
22. ^ Reynolds Farley, 'The New Census Question about Ancestry: What Did It Tell Us?', Demography, Vol. 28, No. 3 (August 1991), pp. 414, 421.
23. ^ 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. 44–46.
24. ^ 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.
25. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
26. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
27. ^ "Lawrence County, Ohio". County Commissioner of Ohio Homepage. Retrieved September 30, 2013.

## External links

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* Lawrence County Sheriff
* Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce
* Lawrence Register

Places adjacent to Lawrence County, Ohio

| Scioto County | Jackson County | Gallia County

|
|

|  |

Lawrence County, Ohio

|  |
Greenup County, Kentucky,
Boyd County, Kentucky | Wayne County, West Virginia | Cabell County, West Virginia

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Lawrence County, Ohio, United States

County seat: Ironton

City|

* Ironton

Error creating thumbnail: Map of Ohio highlighting Lawrence County

Villages|

* Athalia
* Chesapeake
* Coal Grove
* Hanging Rock
* Proctorville
* South Point

Townships|

* Aid
* Decatur
* Elizabeth
* Fayette
* Hamilton
* Lawrence
* Mason
* Perry
* Rome
* Symmes
* Union
* Upper
* Washington
* Windsor

CDPs|

* Burlington
* Miller

Other
communities|

* Eifort‡
* Etna
* Firebrick
* Kitts Hill
* Pedro
* Rock Camp
* Scottown
* Waterloo
* Willow Wood

Footnotes|

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

Huntington-Ashland-Ironton metropolitan area

Principal cities|

* Ashland
* Huntington
* Ironton

File:Huntington Metro.jpg

Municipalities with population
over 5,000|

* Flatwoods
* Hurricane
* Nitro
* Pea Ridge CDP
* Teays Valley CDP

Municipalities with population
1,000–5,000|

* Barboursville
* Buffalo
* Burlington
* Catlettsburg
* Ceredo
* Coal Grove
* Culloden CDP
* Eleanor
* Greenup
* Grayson
* Hamlin
* Kenova
* Lesage CDP
* Milton
* Olive Hill
* Raceland
* Russell
* Rush CDP
* South Point
* South Shore
* Wayne
* Westwood CDP
* Winfield
* Worthington
* Wurtland

Municipalities with population
under 1,000|

* Athalia
* Bancroft
* Bellefonte
* Chesapeake
* Fort Gay
* Hanging Rock
* Lavalette CDP
* Poca
* Proctorville
* West Hamlin

West Virginia counties|

* Cabell
* Lincoln
* Putnam
* Wayne

Kentucky counties|

* Boyd
* Carter
* Greenup

Ohio counties|

* Lawrence

* v
* t
* e

State of Ohio

Columbus (capital)

Topics|

* Outline
* Geography
* Government
* Administrative divisions
* Delegations
* Elections
* History
* Law
* People
* Symbols
* Motto
* Tourist attractions
* Portal

Society|

* Culture
* Crime
* Demographics
* Economy
* Education
* Colleges and universities
* Politics
* Sports

Regions|

* Allegheny Plateau
* Appalachian Ohio
* The Bluegrass
* Glacial till plains
* Great Black Swamp
* Lake Erie (List of Lake Erie Islands)
* Mahoning Valley
* Miami Valley
* Northeast Ohio
* Northwest Ohio
* Vacationland
* Western Reserve

Metro areas|

* Akron
* Canton
* Cincinnati
* Cleveland
* Columbus
* Dayton
* Findlay-Tiffin
* Huntington-Ashland
* Lima
* Mansfield
* Steubenville
* Toledo
* Youngstown-Warren

Largest cities|

* Akron
* Canton
* Cincinnati
* Cleveland
* Columbus
* Cuyahoga Falls
* Dayton
* Dublin
* Elyria
* Euclid
* Hamilton
* Kettering
* Lakewood
* Lorain
* Middletown
* Newark
* Parma
* Springfield
* Toledo
* Youngstown

Counties|

* Adams
* Allen
* Ashland
* Ashtabula
* Athens
* Auglaize
* Belmont
* Brown
* Butler
* Carroll
* Champaign
* Clark
* Clermont
* Clinton
* Columbiana
* Coshocton
* Crawford
* Cuyahoga
* Darke
* Defiance
* Delaware
* Erie
* Fairfield
* Fayette
* Franklin
* Fulton
* Gallia
* Geauga
* Greene
* Guernsey
* Hamilton
* Hancock
* Hardin
* Harrison
* Henry
* Highland
* Hocking
* Holmes
* Huron
* Jackson
* Jefferson
* Knox
* Lake
* Lawrence
* Licking
* Logan
* Lorain
* Lucas
* Madison
* Mahoning
* Marion
* Medina
* Meigs
* Mercer
* Miami
* Monroe
* Montgomery
* Morgan
* Morrow
* Muskingum
* Noble
* Ottawa
* Paulding
* Perry
* Pickaway
* Pike
* Portage
* Preble
* Putnam
* Richland
* Ross
* Sandusky
* Scioto
* Seneca
* Shelby
* Stark
* Summit
* Trumbull
* Tuscarawas
* Union
* Van Wert
* Vinton
* Warren
* Washington
* Wayne
* Williams
* Wood
* Wyandot

Coordinates: 38°35′N 82°32′W﻿ / ﻿38.59°N 82.54°W﻿ / 38.59; -82.54
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