Jefferson, Ohio

Not to be confused with Jefferson County, Ohio or Jeffersonville, Ohio.

For the community in Wayne County, see Jefferson, Wayne County, Ohio.

Village in Ohio, United States

Jefferson, Ohio

Village

Ashtabula County Courthouse

Location of Jefferson in Ashtabula County

Jefferson

Show map of Ohio

Jefferson

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Coordinates: 41°44′19″N 80°45′25″W﻿ / ﻿41.73861°N 80.75694°W﻿ / 41.73861; -80.75694
Country| United States
State| Ohio
County| Ashtabula
Area

[1]

• Total

| 2.54 sq mi (6.57 km2)
• Land| 2.54 sq mi (6.57 km2)
• Water| 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation

[2]

| 961 ft (293 m)
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 3,226
• Density| 1,271.58/sq mi (491.04/km2)
Time zone| UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)| UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code|

44047

Area code| 440
FIPS code| 39-38500[3]
GNIS feature ID| 1042061[2]
Website| http://www.jeffersonohio.us/

Jefferson is a village in Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 3,226 at the 2020 census.[4] It is part of the Ashtabula micropolitan area, 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Cleveland.

Modern-day Jefferson sports the world's only perambulator museum and a historical complex including several restored 19th-century buildings. Joshua Giddings' law office has also been restored as a museum. Annual village events include the Ashtabula County Fair, the Strawberry Festival, Jefferson Days, and the Covered Bridge Festival.

## History

[edit]

Joshua Reed Giddings Law Office

Jefferson was officially founded by Gideon Granger, U.S. Postmaster General during Thomas Jefferson's administration, in 1803. He envisioned the new settlement as a "Philadelphia of the West," and early plans for the village were based upon the layout of that city. A cabin was erected by Granger's agent in 1804, but the settlement's first permanent residents arrived only in 1805: the Samuel Wilson family. Wilson, misled by land agents, moved to Ohio in late autumn expecting to find a thriving city on Granger's land.[5] Instead, he found a wilderness, broken only by trees emblazoned with Philadelphian street names, marking where future streets would be built. Wilson himself died after two weeks of herculean effort to prepare for the winter, but his family stayed on as the first citizens of Jefferson. In 1811, Jefferson was made the county seat of Ashtabula County.

Jefferson's two most famous sons were Congressman Joshua Reed Giddings and Senator Benjamin Wade, two prominent Whig Party and later Republican Party abolitionists.[5] In 1831, the two men formed a law practice in Jefferson and worked together until Giddings was elected to Congress in 1838.[6]: xv  Wade successfully ran for the Ohio State Senate in 1837, then won election to the US Senate in 1851. Both were instrumental in the foundation of the Republican Party and defied the "Gag Rule" barring discussion of slavery prior to the American Civil War. Jefferson itself was a hotbed of abolitionism. Abolitionist John Brown spoke in the village, and several of its houses acted as stations on the Underground Railway. During the American Civil War, it trained Union recruits at Fort Giddings, which stood in the village at the current site of the fairgrounds. Wade later was merely one vote shy of assuming the acting Presidency due to the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson.[7]

## Geography

[edit]

Jefferson Town Hall

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.52 square miles (6.53 km2), all land.[8]

The village's principal watercourse is Mill Creek.

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1850| 439| | —
1860| 658| | 49.9%
1870| 869| | 32.1%
1880| 1,008| | 16.0%
1890| 1,346| | 33.5%
1900| 1,319| | −2.0%
1910| 1,461| | 10.8%
1920| 1,532| | 4.9%
1930| 1,691| | 10.4%
1940| 1,676| | −0.9%
1950| 1,844| | 10.0%
1960| 2,116| | 14.8%
1970| 2,472| | 16.8%
1980| 2,952| | 19.4%
1990| 3,331| | 12.8%
2000| 3,572| | 7.2%
2010| 3,120| | −12.7%
2020| 3,226| | 3.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]

### 2010 census

[edit]

As of the census[10] of 2010, there were 3,120 people, 1,290 households, and 809 families living in the village. The population density was 1,238.1 inhabitants per square mile (478.0/km2). There were 1,400 housing units at an average density of 555.6 per square mile (214.5/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 97.1% White, 1.1% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.

There were 1,290 households, of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.3% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.89.

The median age in the village was 43 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.7% were from 25 to 44; 27.3% were from 45 to 64; and 20.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 45.6% male and 54.4% female.

### 2000 census

[edit]

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 3,572 people, 1,357 households, and 933 families living in the village. The population density was 1,566.5 inhabitants per square mile (604.8/km2). There were 1,425 housing units at an average density of 625.0 per square mile (241.3/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 97.17% White, 1.43% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.14% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62% of the population. 19.1% were of German, 14.6% English, 12.7% Italian, 11.3% Irish and 10.8% American ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 1,357 households, out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.2% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.4 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $36,883, and the median income for a family was $46,313. Males had a median income of $34,341 versus $25,036 for females. The per capita income for the village was $18,371. About 3.9% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

## Education

[edit]

Children in Jefferson are served by the Jefferson Local School District.[11] The Jefferson Area Local School District, located in Ashtabula County, Ohio, encompasses nearly 130 square miles and serves students from the villages of Jefferson, Rock Creek, and Roaming Shores as well as students from parts of Austinburg, Denmark, Dorset, Jefferson, Lenox, Morgan, New Lyme, Plymouth, Rome, Sheffield, and Trumbull Townships. Approximately 1,700 students are enrolled in our 4 schools: Jefferson Area High School (9-12), Jefferson Area Junior High (7-8), Jefferson Elementary School (K-6), and Rock Creek Elementary School (K-6).

## Notable people

[edit]

* Julius C. Burrows, U.S. Representative and a U.S. Senator from Michigan
* Theodore Elijah Burton, U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Ohio
* Joshua Reed Giddings, attorney, politician and a prominent opponent of slavery
* Matthew Hatchette, NFL wide receiver
* John L. Hervey, prominent authority on thoroughbred horses
* Branden Lee Hinkle, mixed martial artist
* Elbert L. Lampson, 21st Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, former state Senator
* James J. Nance, President of Hotpoint and later as the last President of the Packard Motor Car Company
* Platt Rogers Spencer, creator of Spencerian penmanship, a popular system of cursive handwriting
* George Van Tassel, UFO enthusiast and religious cult leader
* Benjamin Franklin Wade, lawyer and U.S. Senator, President pro tempore of Senate
* Carl Yoder, industrialist

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Jefferson, Ohio
3. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
5. ^ a b "Jefferson, Ohio". Ohio History Central. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
6. ^ Thompson, Arthur W. (1964). "Introductory". The Exiles of Florida. By Giddings, Joshua. University of Florida Press.
7. ^ "Benjamin Franklin Wade". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
8. ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
9. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
10. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
11. ^ "Jefferson Area Local Schools". Jefferson Area Local Schools. Retrieved August 12, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Village website

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States

County seat: Jefferson

Cities|

* Ashtabula
* Conneaut
* Geneva

Map of Ohio highlighting Ashtabula County

Villages|

* Andover
* Geneva-on-the-Lake
* Jefferson
* North Kingsville
* Orwell
* Roaming Shores
* Rock Creek

Townships|

* Andover
* Ashtabula
* Austinburg
* Cherry Valley
* Colebrook
* Denmark
* Dorset
* Geneva
* Harpersfield
* Hartsgrove
* Jefferson
* Kingsville
* Lenox
* Monroe
* Morgan
* New Lyme
* Orwell
* Pierpont
* Plymouth
* Richmond
* Rome
* Saybrook
* Sheffield
* Trumbull
* Wayne
* Williamsfield
* Windsor

CDPs|

* Austinburg
* Edgewood
* Kingsville
* Saybrook-on-the-Lake

Unincorporated
communities|

* Dorset
* Eagleville
* Footville
* Griggs Corners
* Kelloggsville
* Pierpont
* Stanhope‡
* Unionville
* Wick
* Williamsfield

Footnotes|

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

* Ohio portal
* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

Thomas Jefferson

* 3rd President of the United States (1801–1809)
* 2nd Vice President of the United States (1797–1801)
* 1st United States Secretary of State (1790–1793)
* U.S. Minister to France (1785–1789)
* Delegate to the Congress of the Confederation (1783–1784)
* 2nd Governor of Virginia (1779–1781)
* Delegate to the Second Continental Congress (1775–1776)
* Delegate, Fifth Virginia Convention (1776)

Founding
documents of
the United States|

* A Summary View of the Rights of British America (1774)
* Olive Branch Petition (1775)
* Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms (1775)
* Declaration of Independence (1776)
* Committee of Five
* physical history
* "All men are created equal"
* "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"
* "Consent of the governed"
* Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1786)
* Land Ordinance of 1784
* Land Ordinance of 1785

French Revolution|

* Co-author, Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789)

Presidency|

* Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves
* Louisiana Purchase
* Lewis and Clark Expedition
* Empire of Liberty
* Dunbar and Hunter Expedition
* Red River Expedition
* Pike Expedition
* Cumberland Road
* Embargo Act of 1807
* Chesapeake–Leopard affair
* Non-Intercourse Act
* First Barbary War
* Native American policy
* Burr conspiracy
* Marbury v. Madison
* West Point Military Academy
* State of the Union Addresses
* 1801
* 1802
* 1805
* Cabinet
* Federal judicial appointments

Other noted
accomplishments|

* Early life and career
* Franco-American alliance
* Founder, University of Virginia
* history
* Ratification Day
* Anti-Administration party
* Democratic-Republican Party
* Jeffersonian democracy
* Coinage, Weights, and Measures report (1790)
* State Department Library
* Residence Act
* Compromise of 1790
* Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
* A Manual of Parliamentary Practice (1801)
* Jefferson disk
* Swivel chair
* Megalonyx

Jeffersonian
architecture|

* Barboursville
* Farmington
* Monticello
* gardens
* Poplar Forest
* University of Virginia
* The Rotunda
* The Lawn
* Jefferson Hall
* Virginia State Capitol
* White House Colonnades

Other writings|

* The Papers of Thomas Jefferson
* Notes on the State of Virginia (1785)
* Pyratical states of Barbary proposals (1786)
* European journey memorandums (1787)
* Indian removal letters
* The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth (c. 1819)
* Jefferson manuscript collection
* Founders Online

Related|

* American Enlightenment
* American Philosophical Society
* Founding Fathers of the United States
* Historical reputation
* Jefferson and education
* Religious views
* Jefferson and slavery
* Jefferson and the Library of Congress
* Jefferson Pier
* Pet mockingbird
* National Gazette
* Sally Hemings
* Jefferson–Hemings controversy
* Betty Hemings
* Separation of church and state
* Shadwell plantation
* Tuckahoe plantation
* Tufton Farm
* Governor's Palace (Williamsburg, Virginia)
* Virginia dynasty
* Ward republic

Elections|

* Presidential elections
* 1796
* 1800
* 1804

Legacy and
memorials|

* Bibliography
* Jefferson Memorial
* Mount Rushmore
* Birthday
* Thomas Jefferson Building
* Jefferson River
* Jefferson Territory
* Jefferson Lecture
* Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
* Square Thomas Jefferson
* Thomas Jefferson Star for Foreign Service
* Statues
* Karl Bitter
* Louisville
* University of Virginia
* David d'Angers
* Jefferson Literary and Debating Society
* Thomas Jefferson Foundation
* Jefferson Lab
* Monticello Association
* Jefferson City, Missouri
* Jefferson College
* Thomas Jefferson University
* Washington and Jefferson National Forests
* Peaks and mountains
* Jefferson Rock
* Other placenames
* Jefferson–Jackson Day
* Currency depictions
* Jefferson nickel
* Two-dollar bill
* Louisiana Purchase Exposition gold dollar
* 250th Anniversary silver dollar
* U.S. postage stamps

Cultural
depictions|

* Declaration of Independence (1938 film)
* The Patriots (1946 play)
* 1776
* 1969 musical
* 1972 film
* Jefferson in Paris (1995 film)
* Thomas Jefferson (1997 film)
* John Adams (2008 miniseries)
* Jefferson's Garden (2015 play)
* Hamilton (2015 musical)
* Thomas Jefferson (2025 miniseries)
* Wine bottles controversy
* Cultural depictions of Sally Hemings

Family|

* Martha Jefferson (wife)
* Martha Jefferson Randolph (daughter)
* Mary Jefferson Eppes (daughter)
* Harriet Hemings (daughter)
* Madison Hemings (son)
* Eston Hemings (son)
* Thomas J. Randolph (grandson)
* George W. Randolph (grandson)
* Ellen Randolph Coolidge (granddaughter)
* Cornelia Jefferson Randolph (granddaughter)
* Francis Eppes (grandson)
* John Wayles Jefferson (grandson)
* Sarah N. Randolph (great-granddaughter)
* T. Jefferson Coolidge (great-grandson)
* Frederick Madison Roberts (great-grandson)
* Peter Jefferson (father)
* Jane Randolph Jefferson (mother)
* Lucy Jefferson Lewis (sister)
* Randolph Jefferson (brother)
* Peter Carr (nephew)
* Samuel Carr (nephew)
* Dabney Carr (nephew)
* Dabney S. Carr (grand-nephew)
* Isham Randolph (grandfather)
* William Randolph (great-grandfather)
* Henry Soane (2nd great-grandfather)

* ← John Adams
* James Madison →

* ← John Adams
* Aaron Burr →

* Category

* v
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* e

County seats of Ohio

* Akron
* Ashland
* Athens
* Batavia
* Bellefontaine
* Bowling Green
* Bryan
* Bucyrus
* Cadiz
* Caldwell
* Cambridge
* Canton
* Carrollton
* Celina
* Chardon
* Chillicothe
* Cincinnati
* Circleville
* Cleveland
* Columbus
* Coshocton
* Dayton
* Defiance
* Delaware
* Eaton
* Elyria
* Findlay
* Fremont
* Gallipolis
* Georgetown
* Greenville
* Hamilton
* Hillsboro
* Ironton
* Jackson
* Jefferson
* Kenton
* Lancaster
* Lebanon
* Lima
* Lisbon
* Logan
* London
* Mansfield
* Marietta
* Marion
* Marysville
* McArthur
* McConnelsville
* Medina
* Millersburg
* Mount Gilead
* Mount Vernon
* Napoleon
* New Lexington
* New Philadelphia
* Newark
* Norwalk
* Ottawa
* Painesville
* Paulding
* Pomeroy
* Port Clinton
* Portsmouth
* Ravenna
* Sandusky
* Sidney
* Springfield
* St. Clairsville
* Steubenville
* Tiffin
* Toledo
* Troy
* Upper Sandusky
* Urbana
* Van Wert
* Wapakoneta
* Warren
* Washington Court House
* Wauseon
* Waverly
* West Union
* Wilmington
* Woodsfield
* Wooster
* Xenia
* Youngstown
* Zanesville

Authority control databases

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* VIAF

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