Richwood, Ohio Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Richwood, Ohio
Village
Richwood Opera House and Town Hall
Location of Richwood, Ohio
Location of Richwood in Union County
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Union
Township	Claibourne
Area
• Total	1.27 sq mi (3.28 km²)
• Land	1.24 sq mi (3.22 km²)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.07 km²)
Elevation	948 ft (289 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	2,222
• Density	1,789.05/sq mi (690.88/km²)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	43344
Area code(s)	740
FIPS code	39-66936
GNIS feature ID	2399070

Richwood is a small village located in Union County, Ohio, United States. In 2020, about 2,222 people lived there. It's a quiet place with a rich history.

History of Richwood
- Early Days: 1820–1860
  - Town Layout and First Buildings
Geography
Population Information
- 2010 Census Details
Education and Library
Notable People
Gallery
See also

History of Richwood

Early Days: 1820–1860

Union County was created on January 10, 1820. It was formed from parts of other counties like Franklin and Madison. Claibourne Township, where Richwood is located, was surveyed in 1811.

The first settler in Claibourne Township was Cyprian Lee. In 1825, he and Henry Swartz built the township's first road. This 15-foot wide road went from the south to the north of the township. It passed right through the area that would become Richwood.

In 1832, two large pieces of land (1200 acres each) in Union County were given to William Pelham and Charles Blagrove from Virginia. Blagrove later gave these lands to his nieces, Catherine and Parthenia Blagrove. Richwood was later planned on Parthenia's land.

The land was eventually sold to Philip Plummer. He was from Mt. Vernon, Ohio, but he really liked the many trees and rich soil in Union County. Philip and his brother Thomas, who was a surveyor, decided this spot would be great for a new town. It was flat and not too close to Marysville, the county seat.

The town of Richwood was officially laid out between August 8-10, 1832. Philip, Thomas, and Union County Surveyor Levi Phelps worked together on this. The first boundary lines for the new town were recorded in Phelps's office.

Town Layout and First Buildings

When the surveying was done, Richwood was planned out on 44 acres of land. The main north-south road was named Franklin Street, and the east-west road was named Ottaway (later Ottawa) Street. Both were very wide, about 100 feet. Other streets like Fulton, Clinton, Blagrove, and Bomford were also planned.

The very first building in Richwood was a one-room log cabin. It belonged to John P. Brookins and his family. For many years, he was the only doctor in Richwood. He also served as a judge and the postmaster.

In 1834, Richwood got its first business, a grocery store opened by Burdick & Calloway. That same year, all the roads leading into town were covered with gravel.

The Methodist Episcopal Church was formally started on October 17, 1835. It was led by Reverend William Frazell.

Richwood officially became a village in March 1835. By 1840, about 25 families lived there. By 1877, the town had a newspaper, two banks, three churches, a brick school-house, and many stores and factories.

Geography

Richwood is a small village. It covers a total area of about 1.28 square miles (3.28 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with only a small part being water.

The village is located where two Ohio State Routes meet: Route 37 and Route 47.

Population Information

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	164	—
1860	246	50.0%
1870	436	77.2%
1880	1,317	202.1%
1890	1,415	7.4%
1900	1,640	15.9%
1910	1,728	5.4%
1920	1,601	−7.3%
1930	1,573	−1.7%
1940	1,628	3.5%
1950	1,866	14.6%
1960	2,137	14.5%
1970	2,072	−3.0%
1980	2,181	5.3%
1990	2,186	0.2%
2000	2,156	−1.4%
2010	2,229	3.4%
2020	2,222	−0.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 Census Details

In 2010, Richwood had 2,229 people living in 877 households. About 572 of these were families. The village had about 1,783 people per square mile.

Most of the people living in Richwood were White (98.3%). A small number were African American, Native American, or from other backgrounds. About 0.7% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Many households (40.6%) had children under 18 living with them. About 45.7% were married couples. The average household had 2.54 people, and the average family had 3.14 people.

The average age in the village was 34.2 years old. About 29.6% of residents were under 18. About 12.7% were 65 years or older. There were slightly more females (52.6%) than males (47.4%) in the village.

Education and Library

Richwood is home to the North Union Local School District. The sports teams at North Union High School are known as the Wildcats.

The Richwood-North Union Public Library (RNUPL) opened in 1915. It is part of a larger group of libraries called the Serving Every Ohioan Consortium.

Notable People

Some famous people have connections to Richwood:

Todd Gibson - A former American Indy Car Racer.
Martha Root - A well-known teacher of the Baháʼí Faith.
Wallace Clement Sabine - He invented the modern science of architectural acoustics, which is about how sound behaves in buildings.
Gary Shirk - A former professional football player for the New York Giants.
John Marshall Hamilton (1847-1905) - He was a United States Senator and the 18th Governor of Illinois. He was born near Richwood in Union County.