Mount Vernon, Ohio
Encyclopedia
Mount Vernon is a city in Knox County
, Ohio
, United States
. The population was 16,990 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
of Knox County
. The city is named after Mount Vernon
, the plantation owned by George Washington
.
, Thomas B. Patterson and Benjamin Butler
.
By 1840, 2,363 people lived in Mount Vernon.
Mount Vernon was a stop along the Cleveland, Akron and Columbus Railway (Later Pennsylvania, Penn-Central and Conrail) between Cleveland, Orrville and Columbus, Ohio. It was also a stop along the Sandusky, Mansfield and Newark Railroad (Later Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Chessie System and Ohio Central). It is presently at the end of the line from Newark of the Ohio Central Railroad.
The Knox County Historical Society, with a building and extensive exhibits, makes its headquarters on Harcourt Road in Mount Vernon. Exhibits feature information about Daniel Decatur Emmett, Paul Lynde, The Cooper Company and other subjects.
At 4:30 PM local time on August 3, 2006, an F0 tornado
touched down on the west side of town. It demolished a barn at the local 84 Lumber
, and the resulting debris blew across the road to the DeCosky GM car dealership. It caused at least $150,000 of damage.
Mount Vernon is located at 40°23′34"N 82°28′52"W (40.392738, -82.481151).
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 8.4 square miles (21.8 km²), of which, 8.4 square miles (21.8 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.47%) is water. The city lies in the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau and is surrounded by rolling hills and valleys.
The Kokosing River
and U.S. Route 36
pass through the city.
of 2000, there were 15,256 people, 6,187 households, and 3,730 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,710.4 people per square mile (660.7/km²). There were 6,713 housing units at an average density of 798.7 per square mile (308.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.66% White, 1.15% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.29% from other races
, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.87% of the population.
There were 6,187 households out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples
living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,801, and the median income for a family was $38,217. Males had a median income of $31,900 versus $21,969 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,471. About 12.7% of families and 15.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.7% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.
. There is a large industrial complex in the western part of the city that manufactures and repairs products for the gas and oil power generation industries. It is now Rolls-Royce Energy Systems, Inc., a subsidiary of Rolls-Royce North America
, which is in turn, a subsidiary of Rolls-Royce plc
.
Ariel Corporation, a major manufacturer of reciprocating natural gas (and other gasses) compressors, is also located in Mount Vernon. Its history is tied to that of Cooper Industries
in that Jim Doane, one of the founders of Ariel, was a former engineer for Cooper Industries Mount Vernon. Ariel's website can be found at arielcorp.com.
Two universities in Mount Vernon and Gambier, Ohio provide thousands of jobs to the local residents. Mount Vernon is home to Mount Vernon Nazarene University
and Gambier, Ohio is home to Kenyon College
.
Knox County, Ohio
Knox County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 60,921. Its county seat is Mount Vernon and is named for Henry Knox, an officer in the American Revolutionary War who was later the first Secretary of War....
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 16,990 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Knox County
Knox County, Ohio
Knox County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 60,921. Its county seat is Mount Vernon and is named for Henry Knox, an officer in the American Revolutionary War who was later the first Secretary of War....
. The city is named after Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon (plantation)
Mount Vernon, located near Alexandria, Virginia, was the plantation home of the first President of the United States, George Washington. The mansion is built of wood in neoclassical Georgian architectural style, and the estate is located on the banks of the Potomac River.Mount Vernon was designated...
, the plantation owned by George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
.
History
The community was founded in 1805 by Joseph WalkerJoseph Walker
Joseph Walker or Joe Walker may refer to:*Joseph Walker , British Major-General *Joseph A. Walker, American test X-15 test pilot*Joseph Edison Walker, former president of the Universal Life Insurance Company...
, Thomas B. Patterson and Benjamin Butler
Benjamin Butler
Benjamin Butler may refer to:*Benjamin Franklin Butler , U.S. lawyer who served as Attorney General, 1833–1838*Benjamin Franklin Butler , U.S. political figure; general in American Civil War; Governor of Massachusetts*Benjamin Butler Painter...
.
By 1840, 2,363 people lived in Mount Vernon.
Mount Vernon was a stop along the Cleveland, Akron and Columbus Railway (Later Pennsylvania, Penn-Central and Conrail) between Cleveland, Orrville and Columbus, Ohio. It was also a stop along the Sandusky, Mansfield and Newark Railroad (Later Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Chessie System and Ohio Central). It is presently at the end of the line from Newark of the Ohio Central Railroad.
Local history
The Woodward Opera House, the oldest opera theater of its kind in the United States, is located downtown. The theater is currently under major renovation and will, upon its completion, be transformed into a local cultural and performing-arts center.The Knox County Historical Society, with a building and extensive exhibits, makes its headquarters on Harcourt Road in Mount Vernon. Exhibits feature information about Daniel Decatur Emmett, Paul Lynde, The Cooper Company and other subjects.
At 4:30 PM local time on August 3, 2006, an F0 tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
touched down on the west side of town. It demolished a barn at the local 84 Lumber
84 Lumber
84 Lumber is an American building materials chain. 84 Lumber Company is the largest privately held building materials supplier to professional contractors in the country. Headquartered in the Pittsburgh Metro Area town of Eighty Four, Pennsylvania, it was founded in 1956 by Joseph Hardy...
, and the resulting debris blew across the road to the DeCosky GM car dealership. It caused at least $150,000 of damage.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 8.4 square miles (21.8 km²), of which, 8.4 square miles (21.8 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.47%) is water. The city lies in the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau and is surrounded by rolling hills and valleys.
The Kokosing River
Kokosing River
The Kokosing River is a tributary of the Walhonding River, 57.2 miles long, in east-central Ohio in the United States...
and U.S. Route 36
U.S. Route 36
U.S. Route 36 is an east–west United States highway that runs for from Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado to Uhrichsville, Ohio. The highway's western terminus is at Deer Ridge Junction, an intersection in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, where it meets U.S. Route 34. Its eastern...
pass through the city.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 15,256 people, 6,187 households, and 3,730 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,710.4 people per square mile (660.7/km²). There were 6,713 housing units at an average density of 798.7 per square mile (308.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.66% White, 1.15% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.29% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.87% of the population.
There were 6,187 households out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,801, and the median income for a family was $38,217. Males had a median income of $31,900 versus $21,969 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $16,471. About 12.7% of families and 15.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.7% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Mount Vernon was the birthplace of Cooper IndustriesCooper Industries
Cooper Industries is a former US-based company that in 2009 switched its incorporation office from Bermuda to Ireland, maintaining its chief operational offices in Houston, Texas. It produces transformers, tools and electrical equipment, employing 29,000 staff around the world. Revenue in 2007 was...
. There is a large industrial complex in the western part of the city that manufactures and repairs products for the gas and oil power generation industries. It is now Rolls-Royce Energy Systems, Inc., a subsidiary of Rolls-Royce North America
Rolls-Royce North America
Rolls-Royce North America, Inc. is a subsidiary of Rolls-Royce plc involved principally in the manufacture of gas turbine engines and other propulsion systems...
, which is in turn, a subsidiary of Rolls-Royce plc
Rolls-Royce plc
Rolls-Royce Group plc is a global power systems company headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second-largest maker of aircraft engines , and also has major businesses in the marine propulsion and energy sectors. Through its defence-related activities...
.
Ariel Corporation, a major manufacturer of reciprocating natural gas (and other gasses) compressors, is also located in Mount Vernon. Its history is tied to that of Cooper Industries
Cooper Industries
Cooper Industries is a former US-based company that in 2009 switched its incorporation office from Bermuda to Ireland, maintaining its chief operational offices in Houston, Texas. It produces transformers, tools and electrical equipment, employing 29,000 staff around the world. Revenue in 2007 was...
in that Jim Doane, one of the founders of Ariel, was a former engineer for Cooper Industries Mount Vernon. Ariel's website can be found at arielcorp.com.
Two universities in Mount Vernon and Gambier, Ohio provide thousands of jobs to the local residents. Mount Vernon is home to Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a Christian liberal arts college located in Mount Vernon, Ohio.-History:The result of a 1960 education commission, Mount Vernon Nazarene was first chartered as the Zone A College of the Church of the Nazarene in 1964 by the church's General Assembly...
and Gambier, Ohio is home to Kenyon College
Kenyon College
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. It is the oldest private college in Ohio...
.
Colleges and Universities
- Kenyon CollegeKenyon CollegeKenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. It is the oldest private college in Ohio...
(located in nearby Gambier, OhioGambier, OhioGambier is a village in Knox County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,871 at the 2000 census.Gambier is the home of Kenyon College and was named after one of Kenyon College's early benefactors, Lord Gambier....
) - Mount Vernon Nazarene UniversityMount Vernon Nazarene UniversityMount Vernon Nazarene University is a Christian liberal arts college located in Mount Vernon, Ohio.-History:The result of a 1960 education commission, Mount Vernon Nazarene was first chartered as the Zone A College of the Church of the Nazarene in 1964 by the church's General Assembly...
Notable residents
- Chris AllenChris Allen (ice hockey)Chris Allen is a Canadian ice hockey defenceman who is currently Player/Head Coach of the Peterborough Phantoms.-Playing career :...
- third line right-winger for the Dallas StarsDallas StarsThe Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The... - Eldad Cicero CampEldad Cicero CampEldad Cicero Camp, Jr. was an American coal tycoon, attorney and philanthropist, active primarily in Knoxville, Tennessee, and the vicinity, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
- coal tycoon - Thom CollierThom CollierThom Collier is a former Republican member of the Ohio House of Representatives, representing the 90th District from 2000 to 2008. He made an unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination for the 19th Senate District in 2010.-External links:*...
- former Ohio state representative - Fred DaileyFred DaileyFred L. Dailey is a former director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, and was the Republican nominee for U.S. Congress in Ohio's 18th congressional district...
- former State of Ohio Agriculture Director, Former US Congressional Candidate - Hiram and Barney DavisWild Men of BorneoThe Wild Men of Borneo, Waino and Plutanor, were a pair of exceptionally strong dwarf brothers who were most famously associated with P. T. Barnum and his freak show exhibitions.- Life :...
- two dwarf brothers and side-show performers - Columbus DelanoColumbus DelanoColumbus Delano, was a lawyer and a statesman and a member of the prominent Delano family.At the age of eight, Columbus Delano's family moved to Mount Vernon in Knox County, Ohio, a place he would call home for the rest of his life. After completing his primary education, he studied law and was...
- WhigWhig Party (United States)The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
and RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician and lawyer. - Daniel Decatur EmmettDan EmmettDaniel Decatur "Dan" Emmett was an American songwriter and entertainer, founder of the first troupe of the blackface minstrel tradition.-Biography:...
- authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of "DixieDixie (song)Countless lyrical variants of "Dixie" exist, but the version attributed to Dan Emmett and its variations are the most popular. Emmett's lyrics as they were originally intended reflect the mood of the United States in the late 1850s toward growing abolitionist sentiment. The song presented the point...
" - Lansford HastingsLansford HastingsLansford Warren Hastings is best remembered as the developer of Hastings Cutoff, a shortcut across what is now the state of Utah, a factor in the Donner Party disaster of 1846.-Early life:...
- noted CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
pioneerAmerican pioneerAmerican pioneers are any of the people in American history who migrated west to join in settling and developing new areas. The term especially refers to those who were going to settle any territory which had previously not been settled or developed by European or American society, although the...
. - Paul LyndePaul LyndePaul Edward Lynde was an American comedian and actor. A noted character actor, Lynde was well known for his roles as Uncle Arthur on Bewitched and Harry MacAfee, the befuddled father in Bye Bye Birdie...
- comedianComedianA comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity... - Ralph W. Sockman - noted clergyman, author, and radio speaker.
- Jim StillwagonJim StillwagonJim Stillwagon is a former all star American college football player and Canadian Football League player.Stillwagon was a three-year starter with the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was a consensus All-America selection as a junior and senior, and won the Outland Trophy and was the first-ever winner of...
- American football player - Jesse B. ThomasJesse B. ThomasJesse Burgess Thomas was born in Shepherdstown, Virginia . He served as a delegate from the Indiana Territory to the tenth Congress and later served as one of Illinois's first two Senators.- Biography :...
- first senator of IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and the proposer of the Missouri CompromiseMissouri CompromiseThe Missouri Compromise was an agreement passed in 1820 between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the United States Congress, involving primarily the regulation of slavery in the western territories. It prohibited slavery in the former Louisiana Territory north of the parallel 36°30'...
External links
- City of Mount Vernon Web Site
- Mount Vernon News, a newspaper based in Mt. Vernon