Crestline, Ohio facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Crestline, Ohio
Village
First United Methodist Church
Location of Crestline, Ohio
Location of Crestline in Crawford County
Country	United States
State	Ohio
Counties	Crawford, Richland
Township	Jackson, Jefferson, Sandusky
Founded	1851
Area
• Total	3.15 sq mi (8.17 km2)
• Land	3.15 sq mi (8.16 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation	1,142 ft (348 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	4,630
• Estimate  (2019)	4,425
• Density	1,404.76/sq mi (542.32/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	44827
Area code(s)	419
FIPS code	39-19330
GNIS feature ID	1061006
Website	http://www.crestlineoh.com/

Crestline is a village in Crawford and Richland Counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. Crestline's population was 4,630 at the 2010 census. It is the third largest municipality in Crawford County. The Crawford County portion of Crestline is part of the Bucyrus Micropolitan Statistical Area, while the small portion of the village that extends into Richland County is considered part of the Mansfield Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

First came the railroad, and then came the town. It all started in 1850 when a route was needed between Shelby and Galion, a distance of 13 miles, by the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati railroad, or the "Bee Line" as it was known then. Since there was no town between Shelby and Galion, it was decided that a station should be placed halfway for passenger convenience. The station was constructed where the line crossed the Leesville road.

Crestline was platted in 1852. It was once thought to be the highest point in Ohio and was named from its high elevation.

This station soon developed into a town, with a general store, post office, and a few homes. Early settlers in the village believed that the town was the watershed of the state, where streams to the north emptied into Lake Erie and those to the south emptied into the Ohio River, thus the name Crest Line. The town was not on the watershed line, but the name stuck and eventually became one word. During its heyday, Crestline was a division point for the Pennsylvania Railroad's Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway. The city housed major engine facilities and would often be the point where motive power was changed for the relatively flat runs to and from Chicago, Illinois. The Pennsylvania Railroad's engine facilities included a roundhouse, decommissioned in 1968 in the aftermath of the merger between the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central Railroad to form Penn Central. Demolition of the historic roundhouse commenced in 2007 after years of neglect. Today, Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad, CSX and Norfolk Southern trains operate in and around Crestline.

Crestline, originally a railroad community, now thrives from the various businesses and industries located there. Crestline, however, is still considered a railroad community. The two crossing railroads that caused the beginning of the village still remain active there. Crestline really is "the hub of Ohio".

Geography

Crestline is located at 40°47′5″N 82°44′25″W (40.784657, -82.740192), along the Sandusky River near its headwaters.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.18 square miles (8.24 km²), of which 3.17 square miles (8.21 km²) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km²) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1860	1,487		—
1870	2,279		53.3%
1880	2,848		25.0%
1890	2,911		2.2%
1900	3,282		12.7%
1910	3,807		16.0%
1920	4,313		13.3%
1930	4,425		2.6%
1940	4,337		−2.0%
1950	4,614		6.4%
1960	5,521		19.7%
1970	5,947		7.7%
1980	5,406		−9.1%
1990	4,934		−8.7%
2000	5,088		3.1%
2010	4,630		−9.0%
Est. 2019	4,425		−4.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 4,630 people, 1,914 households, and 1,256 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,460.6 inhabitants per square mile (563.9/km²). There were 2,169 housing units at an average density of 684.2 per square mile (264.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.1% White, 2.7% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.1% of the population.

There were 1,914 households, of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.4% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.94.

The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 26.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.8% were from 45 to 64; and 16.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

Abraham Lincoln's Funeral Train

Following his death by assassination, the body of Abraham Lincoln was brought from Washington, D.C. to its final resting place in Lincoln's hometown of Springfield, Illinois, by funeral train. The train left Washington, D.C., on April 21, 1865 at 12:30 pm and traveled 1,654 miles (2,662 km) to Springfield, arriving on May 3, 1865. Several stops were made along the way, including Crestline on April 29, 1865 at 1:07 am.

Notable people

• Gates Brown, baseball player
• Les Channell, baseball player
• Frank Emmer, baseball player
• Mark Fenton, actor
• Mike Gottfried, football coach, commentator
• Jack Harbaugh, football player, coach, and father of NFL coaches John and Jim Harbaugh
• Robert Kurtzman, film director, producer, screenwriter, special effects artist
• Marabel Morgan, author, anti-feminist

Images for kids

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  New York Central line crossing the Pennsylvania Railroad mainline, along with Ohio State Route 61 in Crestline