Pomeroy, Ohio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pomeroy, Ohio
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Village
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Intersection of Main Street and Court Street, with the courthouse in the middle
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 Pomeroy, Ohio
Location in Ohio
Pomeroy, Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| County | Meigs |
| Township | Salisbury |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.35 sq mi (8.66 km2) |
| • Land | 3.28 sq mi (8.50 km2) |
| • Water | 0.06 sq mi (0.16 km2) |
| Elevation | 755 ft (230 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,573 |
| • Density | 479.28/sq mi (185.05/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
45769
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| Area code(s) | 740 |
| FIPS code | 39-64024 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2398996 |
Pomeroy is a village in Meigs County, Ohio, United States. It is the county seat, meaning it's where the main government offices for the county are located. Pomeroy sits along the Ohio River, about 21 miles south of Athens. In 2020, the population was 1,573 people.
Contents
History of Pomeroy
Pomeroy was founded in 1804 and was named after Samuel Pomeroy, who owned the land. The village officially became a town in 1840. It was chosen as the county seat in 1841.
Early Settlement and Growth
The first settlers arrived in the area around 1806. In the 1820s, people started opening businesses like taverns and mills.
In 1830, Samuel Wyllys Pomeroy from Massachusetts visited the area. He was impressed by the beautiful views and the rich natural resources, especially the coal. He thought it was a good place to live and had a bright future for industry.
He started the Pomeroy Son’s Company. He sent his son-in-law, Valentine B. Horton, to help develop the coal mines and other industries.
Developing Industries and Transportation
Valentine B. Horton worked hard to grow the mines. He encouraged settlers from places like Germany, Ireland, and Wales to come to Pomeroy to work in the coal industry. He brought in new, modern ways of mining.
Horton also improved how coal was transported. He built the first coal barges and, in 1836, the first boat (called Condor) that ran on coal instead of wood. He helped make Pomeroy an official village in 1841. He also helped move the county court to Pomeroy that same year.
In 1848, salt was found deep underground near the river. Horton helped start the salt industry, using local coal to process the salt. Many salt companies opened, including Excelsior Salt Co., which operated until 1975.
Pomeroy's Peak and Decline
By 1870, Pomeroy was a busy and successful industrial town with about 5,000 people. The river was full of boats carrying goods. The town had many businesses, including steel mills, machine shops, a brewery, and factories making organs and buggies. There were also stores, doctors, dentists, and lawyers.
A newspaper started in 1843, the telegraph arrived in 1848, and the railroad came in 1886. Ferries also connected Pomeroy to Mason, West Virginia.
The early 1900s were the best times for Meigs County and Pomeroy. Production of salt, chemicals, and coal was at its highest. World War I increased the demand for coal. However, after strikes in the 1920s and the Great Depression in the 1930s, the coal and salt businesses started to slow down.
During World War II, there was a temporary boom in business. But after the war, coal and salt production did not fully restart. This caused the population of Pomeroy to decrease, a trend that continued for many years.
Schools in Pomeroy
In the late 1880s, a school called the "Kerr’s Run Colored School" was built. It taught children from first to eighth grade. Two famous students, James Edwin Campbell and James McHenry Jones, later became presidents of what is now West Virginia State University. This school operated into the early 1900s.
After finishing 8th grade, Campbell and Jones went to Pomeroy Academy for high school. They were among the first African American students to graduate from Pomeroy Academy, even though segregation was common in the United States at that time.
Pomeroy Academy later became Pomeroy High School. A new high school building was built in 1914 and used until 1967. A Junior High School was built nearby in 1929.
By 1920, there were four elementary schools in Pomeroy, and all of them were integrated, meaning students of all races attended together. Later, several local schools combined to form Meigs High School.
Churches in Pomeroy
As people settled in Pomeroy, churches were built. These included churches for German and Welsh settlers, and two churches for African American residents. The original church buildings have been replaced over time, and new types of churches have been added.
Natural Disasters
Fires and floods have often affected Pomeroy. Many old wooden buildings were destroyed by large fires in 1851, 1856, 1884, and 1927. Another fire in 1976 destroyed a store that had been there since the late 1800s. The most damaging floods happened in 1884, 1913, and 1937.
Unique Facts About Pomeroy
- The McDonald's in Pomeroy was one of the last two McDonald's in the world to serve pizza. It stopped serving pizza on August 31, 2017.
- The courthouse in Pomeroy is mentioned in Ripley's Believe It or Not! because it has a ground-floor entrance on each of its three stories. It also held over 200 of Morgan’s Raid soldiers as temporary prisoners after they were captured during the Battle of Buffington Island.
- Pomeroy is mentioned a second time in Ripley's Believe It or Not! for not having any cross streets.
Geography of Pomeroy
Pomeroy is located in Ohio. The village has a total area of about 3.31 square miles. Most of this area is land (3.25 square miles), and a small part is water (0.06 square miles).
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1840 | 388 | — | |
| 1850 | 1,638 | 322.2% | |
| 1860 | 6,480 | 295.6% | |
| 1870 | 5,824 | −10.1% | |
| 1880 | 5,560 | −4.5% | |
| 1890 | 4,726 | −15.0% | |
| 1900 | 4,639 | −1.8% | |
| 1910 | 4,023 | −13.3% | |
| 1920 | 4,294 | 6.7% | |
| 1930 | 3,563 | −17.0% | |
| 1940 | 3,581 | 0.5% | |
| 1950 | 3,656 | 2.1% | |
| 1960 | 3,345 | −8.5% | |
| 1970 | 2,672 | −20.1% | |
| 1980 | 2,728 | 2.1% | |
| 1990 | 2,259 | −17.2% | |
| 2000 | 1,966 | −13.0% | |
| 2010 | 1,852 | −5.8% | |
| 2020 | 1,573 | −15.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Pomeroy's Population in 2010
According to the 2010 census, 1,852 people lived in Pomeroy. There were 757 households and 483 families.
- Most residents (94.3%) were White.
- 2.7% were African American.
- 0.5% were Native American.
- 0.1% were Asian.
- 2.3% were from two or more races.
- About 0.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
Of the households, 34.6% had children under 18 living with them. About 37% were married couples. The average household had 2.44 people.
The average age in the village was 35.2 years. About 27% of residents were under 18, and 13.4% were 65 or older.
Education in Pomeroy
Public schools in Pomeroy are part of the Meigs Local School District. The schools serving the village include:
- Meigs Primary School (Kindergarten to 2nd grade)
- Meigs Intermediate School (3rd to 5th grade)
- Meigs Middle School (6th to 8th grade)
- Meigs High School (9th to 12th grade)
Pomeroy also has a public library, which is a branch of the Meigs County District Public Library.
Notable People from Pomeroy
Many interesting people have connections to Pomeroy, including:
- Mike Bartrum, a former NFL player.
- Ambrose Bierce, a famous American journalist and writer.
- James Edwin Campbell, a poet and educator.
- Norman "Kid" Elberfeld, a Major League Baseball player and manager.
- Valentine B. Horton, a U.S. Representative during the American Civil War.
- Jorma Kaukonen, a musician inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
- Benny Kauff, a Major League Baseball player.
- Cy Morgan, a Major League Baseball pitcher.
Images for kids
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Intersection of Main Street and Court Street, with the courthouse in the middle
See also
In Spanish: Pomeroy (Ohio) para niños
