Jefferson, Ohio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jefferson, Ohio
|
|
|---|---|
|
Village
|
|
|
|
Location of Jefferson in Ashtabula County
|
|
 Jefferson, Ohio
Location in Ohio
Jefferson, Ohio
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| County | Ashtabula |
| Area | |
| • 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 | 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(s) | 440 |
| FIPS code | 39-38500 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1042061 |
| Website | http://www.jeffersonohio.us/ |
Jefferson is a small town in Ohio, United States. It's the main town, also called the county seat, for Ashtabula County, Ohio. This means it's where the county government offices are located. In 2020, about 3,226 people lived there. Jefferson is about 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Cleveland.
Today, Jefferson is home to the world's only museum dedicated to baby carriages. It also has a historical area with old buildings from the 1800s. You can visit Joshua Giddings' law office, which is now a museum. The village hosts fun events every year, like the Ashtabula County Fair, the Strawberry Festival, Jefferson Days, and the Covered Bridge Festival.
Contents
History of Jefferson
Jefferson was officially started in 1803 by Gideon Granger. He was the U.S. Postmaster General at the time, working for President Thomas Jefferson. Granger imagined Jefferson would become a big city like Philadelphia in the west. Early plans for the town were even based on Philadelphia's layout.
The first cabin was built in 1804. However, the first people to live there permanently arrived in 1805. This was the Samuel Wilson family. They had been told by land agents that they would find a busy city. Instead, they found only wilderness. Trees were marked with future street names, but there were no actual streets or buildings. Samuel Wilson sadly died soon after trying to prepare for winter. But his family stayed and became the first citizens of Jefferson. In 1811, Jefferson was chosen to be the county seat for Ashtabula County.
Important Leaders and Abolitionism
Two very famous people from Jefferson were Congressman Joshua Reed Giddings and Senator Benjamin Wade. Both were strong supporters of ending slavery, known as abolitionists. They were part of the Whig Party and later the Republican Party.
In 1831, Giddings and Wade started a law firm together in Jefferson. They worked side-by-side until Giddings was elected to Congress in 1838. Wade then won a seat in the Ohio State Senate in 1837. Later, he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1851.
Both men were very important in starting the Republican Party. They also bravely spoke out against slavery, even when there was a "Gag Rule" that tried to stop discussions about it before the American Civil War. Jefferson itself was a major center for the abolitionist movement. John Brown, a famous abolitionist, even gave speeches in the village. Several houses in Jefferson were part of the Underground Railway. This was a secret network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom.
During the American Civil War, Union soldiers were trained at Fort Giddings in Jefferson. This fort was located where the fairgrounds are today. Later, Senator Wade almost became the acting President. This happened during the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson, where President Johnson was nearly removed from office.
Geography and Landscape
Jefferson covers an area of about 2.52 square miles (6.52 square kilometers). All of this area is land. The main stream that flows through the village is called Mill Creek.
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 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 | |||
In 2010, there were 3,120 people living in Jefferson. There were 1,290 households, which are groups of people living together. The average household had about 2.30 people. The average family had about 2.89 people.
The average age of people in the village was 43 years old. About 22.5% of the residents were under 18 years old. About 20.4% were 65 years old or older. There were slightly more females (54.4%) than males (45.6%) living in Jefferson.
Education in Jefferson
Students in Jefferson attend schools in the Jefferson Local School District. This school district covers a large area, nearly 130 square miles. It serves students from Jefferson, Rock Creek, and Roaming Shores villages. It also includes parts of many nearby townships.
Around 1,700 students are enrolled in the district's four schools:
- Jefferson Area High School (grades 9-12)
- Jefferson Area Junior High (grades 7-8)
- Jefferson Elementary School (grades K-6)
- Rock Creek Elementary School (grades K-6)
Famous People from Jefferson
Many notable people have come from Jefferson, Ohio:
- Julius C. Burrows: A U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Michigan.
- Theodore Elijah Burton: A U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Ohio.
- Joshua Reed Giddings: A lawyer and politician who strongly opposed slavery.
- Matthew Hatchette: An NFL wide receiver (a football player).
- John L. Hervey: An expert on thoroughbred horses.
- Branden Lee Hinkle: A mixed martial artist.
- Elbert L. Lampson: The 21st Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and a former state Senator.
- James J. Nance: A president of Hotpoint and the last president of the Packard Motor Car Company.
- Platt Rogers Spencer: He created Spencerian Script, a popular style of cursive handwriting.
- George Van Tassel: A UFO enthusiast.
- Benjamin Franklin Wade: A lawyer and U.S. Senator, who was also the President pro tempore of the Senate.
- Carl Yoder: An industrialist (someone who owns or manages a large industrial business).
Images for kids
-
Ashtabula County Courthouse
-
Location of Jefferson in Ashtabula County
See also
In Spanish: Jefferson (Ohio) para niños
