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Brown County, Ohio facts for kids

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Brown County
U.S. county
Brown County Courthouse
Flag of Brown County
Flag
 Official seal of Brown County
Seal
Map of Ohio highlighting Brown County
Location within the U.S. state of Ohio
Map of the United States highlighting Ohio
Ohio's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Ohio
Founded March 1, 1818
Named for General Jacob Brown
Seat Georgetown
Largest village Georgetown
Area
 • Total 493 sq mi (1,280 km2)
 • Land 490 sq mi (1,300 km2)
 • Water 3.4 sq mi (9 km2)  0.7%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 43,676 Decrease
 • Density 89/sq mi (34/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 2nd

Brown County is a special area, or county, in the state of Ohio, United States. In 2020, about 43,676 people lived there. The main town, or "county seat," is Georgetown.

Brown County was officially started in 1818. It was named after Major General Jacob Brown. He was a brave soldier who fought in the War of 1812. Brown County is also part of the larger Cincinnati area, which includes parts of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.

History of Brown County

WhiteBurleyTobacco
This monument in Ripley honors White Burley tobacco.

After the American Revolutionary War, the United States government created a huge area called the Northwest Territory. This territory included the land where Brown County is today. Over time, smaller counties were formed from this large territory.

In 1797, Adams County was created. Then, in 1800, Clermont County was also formed. Many people started to settle in the area north of the Ohio River.

One of the early settlers was Jesse Root Grant. He was the father of Ulysses S. Grant, who later became a US President. Jesse Grant built a home and a tannery (a place to make leather) in what would become Georgetown. Young Ulysses spent his childhood there.

On March 1, 1818, parts of Adams and Clermont counties were combined to create Brown County. Georgetown became its main town. In 1874, a small part of Brown County was moved to Highland County. The county's borders have stayed the same since then.

Brown County is also known as the birthplace of a special kind of tobacco called White Burley. In 1864, two farmers, George Webb and Joseph Fore, grew it near Higginsport. They noticed it had a different, lighter leaf. By 1866, they had grown a lot of it. This new type of tobacco became very popular and was later called burley tobacco.

Geography of Brown County

Brown County is located on the southern edge of Ohio. Its southern border is next to Kentucky, with the Ohio River flowing between them. Several creeks flow through the county and into the Ohio River, like White Oak Creek, Straight Creek, and Eagle Creek. The east fork of the Little Miami River also flows through the northern part of the county.

Brown County has gently rolling hills and farmland. The highest point in the county is on Ash Ridge, which is about 1,089 feet (332 meters) above sea level. The county covers about 493 square miles (1,277 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 490 square miles (1,269 square kilometers), is land. The rest is water.

Main Roads

Many important roads run through Brown County, connecting its towns and neighboring areas. These include:

  • US 50
  • US 52
  • US 62
  • US 68
  • SR 32
  • SR 125
  • SR 131
  • SR 134
  • SR 221
  • SR 286
  • SR 353
  • SR 505
  • SR 756
  • SR 763
  • SR 774

Neighboring Counties

Brown County shares its borders with several other counties:

Lakes

Brown County is home to a few lakes, which are great for recreation:

  • Grant Lake
  • Lake Lorelei
  • Lake Waynoka

Protected Natural Areas

There are also special areas in Brown County set aside to protect wildlife and nature:

  • Della Gates and Charles Bott Wildlife Area
  • Grant Lake Wildlife Area
  • Indian Creek Wildlife Area
  • Eagle Creek Wildlife Area

Population Information

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1820 13,356 —
1830 17,867 33.8%
1840 22,715 27.1%
1850 27,332 20.3%
1860 29,958 9.6%
1870 30,802 2.8%
1880 32,911 6.8%
1890 29,899 −9.2%
1900 28,237 −5.6%
1910 24,832 −12.1%
1920 22,621 −8.9%
1930 20,148 −10.9%
1940 21,638 7.4%
1950 22,221 2.7%
1960 25,178 13.3%
1970 26,635 5.8%
1980 31,920 19.8%
1990 34,966 9.5%
2000 42,285 20.9%
2010 44,846 6.1%
2020 43,676 −2.6%
US Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2020

In 2010, there were 44,846 people living in Brown County. There were about 17,014 households, which are groups of people living together. The average household had about 2.6 people. The average age of people in the county was around 39.9 years old.

Local Media

Radio Stations

  • WRAC C103 Country 103.1 FM (West Union)
  • WAOL 99.5 (Ripley)

Newspapers

  • The News Democrat (Georgetown)
  • The Brown County Press (Mount Orab)
  • The County Free Press (Georgetown, Monthly)
  • The Ripley Bee (Ripley, Weekly)

Towns and Communities

Map of Brown County Ohio With Municipal and Township Labels
Map of Brown County, Ohio

Brown County has many different towns and smaller communities.

Villages

These are smaller towns with their own local governments:

Census-Designated Places

These are areas that are like towns but don't have their own local governments:

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller places that are not officially part of a village or city:

Townships

Townships are smaller divisions of the county, often including rural areas and smaller communities:

  • Byrd
  • Clark
  • Eagle
  • Franklin
  • Green
  • Huntington
  • Jackson
  • Jefferson
  • Lewis
  • Perry
  • Pike
  • Pleasant
  • Scott
  • Sterling
  • Union
  • Washington

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Brown (Ohio) para niños

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Brown County, Ohio Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.