Windham, Ohio facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Windham, Ohio
Village
Windham Park
Motto(s):  "United We Stand"
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Portage
Area
• Total	2.06 sq mi (5.33 km2)
• Land	2.06 sq mi (5.33 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation	965 ft (294 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,666
• Density	809.92/sq mi (312.69/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	44288
Area code(s)	330, 234
FIPS code	39-85946
GNIS feature ID	2399712

Windham is a small village located in eastern Portage County, Ohio, in the United States. In 2020, about 1,666 people lived there.

In 1942, the U.S. government chose Windham for an army camp. This camp housed workers for the new Ravenna Arsenal. Because of this, Windham's population grew a lot. It had the biggest population increase of any town in the U.S. during the 1940s. Its population grew by over 1,100%!

Windham is officially part of the Akron metropolitan area. However, it is closer to Youngstown and Warren. Warren is only about 12.8 miles away. This means Windham is also connected to cities in the Mahoning Valley. For example, the only bank in Windham is part of the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce.

History of Windham

Before 1811, the land where Windham Village and Township now stand belonged to Caleb Strong. He owned this land through the Ohio Company of Associates.

On September 11, 1810, a group of sixteen men met in Becket, Massachusetts. They gathered to talk about buying land in Ohio to start a new settlement. These men were known as the "Beckett Land Company."

On November 11, 1810, this company bought about 14,825 acres from Caleb Strong. The land was divided into 100 sections. Each family received land based on how much they invested. Some families, like the Conants, Clarks, and Streators, gave parts of their land. They donated it near the center of the township for a village green. This was a common practice in the Connecticut Western Reserve.

The sixteen families left Massachusetts on May 2, 1811. Six weeks later, they arrived at their new land. This land was just south of Nelson Township. Today, this area is known as Windham Township.

The first religious service in the new township happened on July 28, 1811. It was held in one of the settlers' homes. Many families belonged to the Congregational Church in Becket, Massachusetts. So, this service was likely Congregationalist. The Congregational Church later built a building on the Green. This church is still there today as part of the United Church of Christ.

How Windham Got Its Name

The Windham Historical Society says the township was first called Strongsburg. This name honored the original landowner, Caleb Strong. He was the Governor of Massachusetts at the time.

The name of the township changed a few times. It went from Strongsburg to Sharon. Then, it changed again to Windham. The second name change, from Sharon to Windham, was to honor Windham, Connecticut. This was the hometown of some of the first settlers.

The Village of Windham officially became a village in 1892. On October 12, 1993, the village separated from Windham Township.

Ravenna Arsenal and Population Growth

In 1940, the United States Department of the Army set aside over 21,418 acres in eastern Portage County. This land was for building two facilities. One was the Portage Ordnance Depot. Together with the Ravenna Ordnance Plant, they became known as the Ravenna Arsenal.

During World War II, more than 14,000 people worked at the Arsenal. The village of Windham was chosen to house many of these workers. This led to a huge population boom in Windham. Its growth of over 1,100% was the largest of any U.S. town. This was reported in National Geographic magazine in June 1951.

Geography

Windham has a total area of about 2.06 square miles, all of which is land. Interstate 80 and the Ohio Turnpike go through the village. However, there is no exit or entrance ramp in Windham or Windham Township yet. Windham's location near this major highway has helped improve 3G wireless communication services for its residents.

Population Information

2010 Census Details

In 2010, Windham had 2,209 people living in 786 households. About 598 of these were families. The village had about 1,072 people per square mile.

• Most residents (91.2%) were White.
• About 4.5% were African American.
• A small number were Native American (0.2%) or Asian (0.2%).
• About 1.3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

In terms of households:

• 45.5% of households had children under 18 living with them.
• About 39.9% were married couples.
• 29.0% had a female head of household with no husband.
• 23.9% were not families.

The average age in the village was 31.6 years old.

• 31.1% of residents were under 18.
• 11.3% were between 18 and 24.
• 24.8% were between 25 and 44.
• 23.4% were between 45 and 64.
• 9.6% were 65 years or older.

There were slightly more females (53.2%) than males (46.8%).

Education

Windham High School

The Windham Exempted Village School District runs the schools in Windham. It has one elementary school, one middle school, and Windham High School.

A private school called Windham Academy started in Windham on February 19, 1835. It was the 44th school chartered in Ohio. This school closed in 1853. Another short-lived private school opened in the 1860s. Windham High School was founded in 1883. It was located across the street from where the current high school building stands.

Windham also has a public library. It is a branch of the Portage County District Library.

Transportation

Windham has regular public bus service on weekdays. This service is part of the Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority. The bus route connects Windham to Ravenna, Garrettsville, and Hiram in eastern Portage County.

Famous People from Windham

• Thomson Jay Hudson: A person who studied parapsychology (things like psychic abilities).
• Angela Johnson: A well-known writer.
• Stan Parrish: A football coach.
• Dempster Woodworth: A Wisconsin state senator and doctor.
• Laurin D. Woodworth: A politician.

See also

In Spanish: Windham (Ohio) para niños