Black Horse, Ohio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Black Horse, Ohio
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 Black Horse, Ohio
Location in Ohio
Black Horse, Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| County | Portage |
| Township | Ravenna |
| Named for | Black Horse Tavern |
| Elevation | 1,076 ft (328 m) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes |
44266
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| Area codes | 330, 234 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1064442 |
Black Horse, sometimes called Blackhorse, is a small place in Portage County, Ohio, in the United States. It's not a city or a town with its own government; it's called an unincorporated community. This means it's a group of homes and businesses without its own local rules.
Black Horse is located in the western part of Ravenna Township. You can find it along Ohio State Route 59 where it meets Brady Lake Road. This spot is just west of the city of Ravenna. The area got its name from an old building called the Black Horse Tavern. This tavern stood on the north side of what is now State Route 59 for many years in the 1800s.
Contents
History of Black Horse
Early Days and the Tavern
When people first started settling the Connecticut Western Reserve, the Black Horse Tavern was a very important stop. It was a regular place for stagecoaches to rest. These coaches were like old-time buses, carrying people west. They were heading towards places like Kent, Cuyahoga Falls, and Akron. The tavern was located at a spot where trails split, making it a natural stopping point.
A man named David Greer built the tavern. He was one of the first people to settle in Ravenna. He built it sometime after he arrived in 1810. David Greer ran the tavern until 1834. Then, he sold it to a man named Backus. Mr. Backus is the one who gave the tavern its famous name.
Where the Name Came From
People believe the name "Black Horse" came from other taverns. There were two other taverns with the same name in Massachusetts. One was in Marlborough and the other in Concord. It's thought that the name was inspired by one of these older places.
Changes Over Time
The Black Horse Tavern stayed open until 1894. Around that time, the people living in the township voted for new rules. These rules meant that taverns and similar businesses could no longer operate. So, the original tavern closed down.
Around the year 1900, the old tavern building sadly burned down. A new building, also called the Black Horse Tavern, was built. This new one was on the south side of the road. That building stood for many years, until 2014.
A New Name Almost Happened
In 1915, there was an idea to rename the area "Five Corners." This name came from the intersection of several roads. These roads included modern-day State Route 59, Brady Lake Road, Wall Street, and Hoover Road. At that time, Hoover Road was the northern end of Lakewood Road. However, many local residents did not like the idea of changing the name. The local newspaper, the Ravenna Republican, also spoke out against the change. Because of this, the name "Black Horse" stayed.
